Kurds in Syria Join Assad’s Forces Under US-French Backing to Prevent Turkish Advances

The integration of Syrian Kurds into President Bashar al-Assad's military is occurring under international agreements sponsored by the United States and France, according to journalist Roy Kais on Kan 11. Kurdish journalist Lamar Arkandi explained that this move aims to block Turkey from exploiting security gaps to accuse the Kurds of terrorism and seize territory, while protecting Kurdish regions from jihadist groups amid ongoing anarchy in Syria.

This development follows an initiative by Iraqi Kurdish Regional President Nechirvan Barzani, who visited Damascus and advised his Syrian Kurdish counterparts that military confrontation would be futile and urged them to accept losses. Concerns over their own situation in Iraq and isolation from both Assad and Turkey influenced their decision to cooperate.

Attention now turns to the impact on minority groups, especially the Druze community near the Israeli border. Druze leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri recently declared the community an integral part of Israel. Meanwhile, Assad hopes the Americans will align with Israel, which he views as key to resolving issues concerning the Druze minority.