(Zaman Al Wasl)- The Executive Head of Syrian Democratic Council said the Kurdish-led forces might merge in the regime forces after she revealed her top meeting with Bashar al-Assad that took place in Damascus two weeks ago.
Ilham Ahmed told BBC Arabic on Saturday that the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces would join the Syrian regime forces in the future.
The statement followed first declared visit to the capital by members of the SDF, which controls roughly a quarter of Syria.
The political wing of the SDF went to Damascus two weeks for a second round of talks with the regime, Reuters reported.
The visits highlight efforts by the Kurdish-led authorities to open new channels to Bashar al-Assad’s regime, as they seek to negotiate a political deal that keeps their autonomy within Syria.
Negotiations could also raise new questions for U.S. policy in Syria, where the U.S. military has deployed into SDF territory during the battle against Islamic State.
The SDF is spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG militia, which has mostly avoided conflict with Assad and has said it aimed to secure Kurdish rights rather than topple the regime.
The “long dialogue” included a proposal from the Assad regime for the de facto autonomous region to take part in the state’s local elections next month, according to Reuters.
The SDC insists on preserving its structure of governance and self-rule in any future elections, he said.
The SDF seized swathes of land with U.S. help, though Washington opposes their ambitions of autonomy. The region they control spreads across much of northern and eastern Syria, rich in farmland, oil, and water.
The Assad regime says the U.S. forces are occupiers. For the first time, Assad said in May that he was “opening doors” for talks with the SDF, but also threatened force and said the Americans would leave one way or another.
Zaman Al Wasl
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