Agreements with Damascus were purely Syrian, no US role – SDF’s Abdi
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, on Sunday said all agreements reached with Damascus were conducted directly between Syrian parties without any U.S. involvement.
Speaking on the “Mizaj” podcast broadcast by Al Arabiya, Abdi stated that the understandings reached on March 10, Jan. 1, and Jan. 29 were “Syrian–Syrian agreements” concluded directly between him and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
Abdi said that since the fall of the former Syrian government, there had been an understanding between him and al-Sharaa to avoid confrontation and resolve all issues through dialogue.
“Despite the recent events, as Syrians we are obliged to reach understandings, especially regarding the Kurdish people and other components in North and East Syria. What matters to us is Syria’s future as a whole,” he added.
Responding to a question about whether he had been offered a position in the Syrian government, Abdi said discussions had taken place with al-Sharaa and the foreign minister about the possibility of working together. However, he stressed that his current priorities are completing the sensitive integration process and achieving Kurdish unity.
He denied being directly offered the post of vice president.
Abdi also touched on past negotiations with former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, saying the SDF had requested changing the country’s name from the Syrian Arab Republic to the Syrian Republic. According to Abdi, al-Assad insisted on maintaining the concept of “Arabism,” which Abdi said was unacceptable to them.
On relations with Iran, Abdi said he had never personally met Iranian officials, noting that in 2013 SDF forces fought Iranian-backed groups supporting the National Defense Forces and expelled them from Hasakah.
He added that while Iranian forces were present in the areas of Nable and al-Zahraa in the north of Aleppo security understandings existed solely to protect civilians in the sensitive area, and that he did not respond to messages sent by Iranian actors.