Talks collapse in Damascus: Shara and Abdi deadlock over control of Hasakah

The integration and ceasefire process announced on Sunday between the de facto administration led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—which currently controls the vast majority of Syria—and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) holding the northeast has reached an impasse.

While clashes on the ground have intensified, high-level talks held yesterday in Damascus failed to produce a concrete consensus.

Reports indicate that Syrian President Ahmed Shara (formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) and SDF General Commander Mazlum Abdi were unable to reach a mutual agreement on the terms of the accord.

“PKK pressure” in meeting lasting over five hours

According to information reflected in Arab and Kurdish media, the meeting in Damascus was attended by the US Ambassador to Ankara and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, Defense Minister Murhef Abu Kasra of the HTS-led transition government, and Foreign Minister Assad Sheibani.

It was alleged that the primary obstacle during the meeting, which lasted more than five hours, was political influence exerted over the SDF.

Journalist Abdulmalik Abbud, known for his proximity to the new administration in Damascus, highlighted the pressure facing Mazlum Abdi in his reporting on the talks.

Abbud reported that Abdi is facing “immense pressure from the PKK leadership to step back from the agreement,” which had been mediated by the US under the patronage of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani.

Shara’s offer to Abdi: Deputy Minister of Defense

According to details from the meeting, Ahmed Shara offered Mazlum Abdi the position of Deputy Minister of Defense in the forthcoming government, on the condition that the SDF rejects PKK pressure, remains neutral, and completes the integration agreement.

Furthermore, Shara requested that Abdi nominate a candidate for governor for the strategic Hasakah province, located on the border with Türkiye and Iraq in northeastern Syria.

The Hasakah knot remains untied

The negotiation reportedly deadlocked over the issue of military control in Hasakah. Allegedly, Mazlum Abdi demanded that Hasakah remain entirely under the administration of the SDF and its civil wing.

Shara rejected this demand, emphasizing that the agreement could only be finalized on the condition that forces attached to the Ministry of Interior enter Hasakah to assume security duties.

It was stated that Mazlum Abdi requested a five-day extension to consult with his field commanders, but Shara turned down this request. Shara reportedly demanded a final response by the end of the day, warning that international parties would otherwise be notified that “Abdi has withdrawn from the agreement and the Damascus administration will resolve the Hasakah issue by force.”

PYD: We are being forced into total surrender

Following the meeting, statements from the SDF side emphasized that the proposal on the table constituted “surrender” rather than compromise.

Speaking to Rudaw, PYD Presidential Council Member Foza Yusuf said, “Our colleagues are still on their way back. However, the meeting ended negatively. Damascus is saying, ‘You will surrender everything, and the situation will revert to pre-2011.’ They are unwilling to accept our existence in any form.”

Drawing attention to the gravity of the situation on the ground, Yusuf stated, “There are clashes everywhere. None of the decisions Shara made yesterday were implemented on the ground. Total surrender is being imposed on us. We will never accept this.”

YPJ General Commander Rohilat Afrin, who was part of the delegation attending the meeting, accused the Damascus administration of “intransigence.”

Referring to the 14-point agreement text announced on Sunday, Afrin noted, “Previously, they said they could implement this agreement within a month.

However, following the attacks in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa, they demanded immediate acceptance of their conditions. They wanted to present this as a fait accompli, which was evidently planned in advance,” she said.

Trump-Shara call: Promise “not to enter Hasakah”

As tensions spiked on the ground, a telephone conversation took place between US President Donald Trump and Ahmed Shara.

An official statement from the Syrian Presidency indicated that recent developments in Syria were discussed, and support for the country’s unity and its “fight against terrorism” was affirmed.

However, sources speaking to Al Monitor shared different details regarding the content of the call. According to these sources, Trump requested an “end to the clashes in northern Syria” and extracted a promise from Shara that “government forces would not enter the city of Hasakah.”

This contact occurred at a time when Syrian Kurdish groups have ramped up criticism of their US allies, and Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican close to Trump, has reacted against operations targeting the SDF east of the Euphrates.