Washington meeting charts path for SDF integration amid Syrian realignment
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – American, Turkish, and Syrian officials discussed plans to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Syria’s future economic, defense, and civic structure during a trilateral session in Washington, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack said on Thursday.
Barrack, who accompanied Syrian Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa during his historic visit to the White House this week, said the meeting marked “a decisive turning point” in Syria’s transition from isolation to regional partnership.
The session, he noted, included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.
According to Barrack, the three sides “mapped the next phase of the U.S.–Turkish–Syrian framework,” focusing on incorporating the SDF into Syria’s new political and institutional landscape.
The framework reportedly also seeks to redefine Turkish-Syrian-Israeli relations and to advance the understandings behind the Israel–Hamas ceasefire and ongoing Lebanese border discussions.
Barrack said President Donald Trump and President al-Sharaa agreed that the time has come to “replace estrangement with engagement,” with Washington pledging to lift all U.S. sanctions on Syria to give the country “a genuine chance at renewal.”
In the Oval Office, al-Sharaa reportedly committed to joining the Global Coalition against ISIS, signaling Damascus’ shift “from a source of terrorism to a counterterrorism partner,” Barrack said.
He added that Syria will now actively cooperate in dismantling remnants of ISIS, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hamas, Hezbollah, and other armed groups.
The U.S. envoy concluded by urging the U.S. Congress to repeal the Caesar Act, calling it “the next step in truly giving Syria a chance” and enabling the new Syrian government to restart its economy.