The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, revealed that a visit to Ankara is "under preparation", pointing out that the coming period may witness a possible meeting between him and "Abdullah Ocalan", who is detained in Turkish prisons.
In response to a question in an interview with Al-Monitor about the possibility of traveling to Ankara, Abdi said, "We can say that such plans are currently being prepared."
Abdi stressed that the top priority is the implementation of the integration agreement with the Syrian government, explaining that the operation is proceeding according to a military plan that includes the formation of four military brigades of "SDF" fighters to join the Syrian army under the leadership of its current commanders, while preserving the privacy of the Kurdish areas.
He also revealed an agreement to integrate about 15,000 members of the Asayish forces into the Syrian state institutions to ensure security in the Kurdish-majority areas.
Administrative and living guarantees for 50,000 employees
The SDF commander indicated that the agreement with the Syrian government ensures that none of the employees of the Autonomous Administration, which number about 50,000 employees, will be excluded, as their salaries will be disbursed through the competent Syrian ministries.
On the education file, Abdi announced that they had reached a final agreement that would allow the Syrian state to recognize the certificates of students who studied the curricula of the autonomous administration, while negotiations continue on the official adoption of the Kurdish language in those areas.
Oil fields return to the sovereign state
Abdi pointed out that the oil fields belong to the Syrian state sovereignly, while discussions continue on sharing production to finance local forces and institutions through fees, taxes and energy revenues, pointing out that the merged forces have already begun to receive their salaries from the central government.
In the context of his response to US President Donald Trump's statements, Abdi denied that his forces were "mercenaries", stressing that US funding was exclusively dedicated to fighting ISIS.
He revealed that he is continuing to communicate with US envoy Tom Barak to follow up on the implementation of the agreements. On the ground level, Abdi announced that the Nusaybin border crossing with Turkey will be reopened soon after a slight technical delay, which represents a goodwill gesture in the path of opening up to Ankara.
Attitude to Internal Criticism
Abdi rejected the accusations against the SDF of neglecting Rojava or secret coordination with Turkey, considering that the expansion towards Raqqa and Deir Ezzor was a strategic necessity to protect the Kurdish presence and fight ISIS.
He also touched on the file of the "Women's Protection Units", noting that negotiations are ongoing with Damascus to integrate them into the Internal Security Forces due to the special status of their legal status.