Defense official says Kurds have returned to Syria’s state institutions
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A Defense Ministry official said on Monday that former fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from across northeast Syria have become part of the new Syrian army, describing the move as a continuation of their role in defending the country while emphasizing broader Kurdish participation in Syria’s state institutions.
Speaking in an interview broadcast by the Kurdish satellite channel Nuje, Helziwar Ismail, Director of Media and Communication for the Eastern Region at the Ministry of Defense, said young people from the region who had joined the SDF have continued their service by joining the new Syrian army.
Ismail said all former SDF fighters, including Arabs, Kurds, Syriacs, and Assyrians, have now been incorporated into Syrian army brigades, adding that the integration process is ongoing.
He said the region “will not witness wars anymore” and is entering a period of security and stability. According to Ismail, the next phase will focus on providing scientific and military training for recruits inside military barracks while building a professional army and removing military presence from urban areas.
Ismail also said former SDF headquarters inside cities had been handed over to local authorities to serve residents and strengthen state institutions.
He stressed that the “new Syria” should be a country for all Syrians, founded on partnership and equal citizenship.
Referring to the Kurdish community’s role in Syria, Ismail said Kurds had historically participated in resisting the French Mandate and contributed to building the Syrian state before policies under the former Baath government excluded them from state institutions and the military.
He added that since the beginning of the Syrian uprising in 2011, Kurds had rejected returning to the pre-2011 status quo and sought to live freely in a country that guarantees their national rights and dignity. According to Mitani, the new government has opened the way for Kurds to return to the army and other state institutions.
Ismail said official recognition of the Kurdish language and Kurdish rights had strengthened the confidence of Kurdish youth to join the military and participate in rebuilding the state.
“Today, Kurds have become part of the People’s Assembly, the army, and state institutions,” Ismail said. He expressed hope that Syria would adopt a permanent constitution guaranteeing the national rights of Kurds alongside the rights of all Syrian communities, while preventing the return of exclusionary policies experienced in the past.
Ismail also offered condolences to the victims of the recent bus crash on the Damascus–Deir ez-Zor highway and commemorated those killed in the Qamishli bombing a decade ago, saying their sacrifices had laid the foundation for the security and stability the region enjoys today.