The PKK in Iraq has begun to disarm following the decision by its incrqacrated leader, Abdullah Ocalan, to give up the armed struggle and turn to peaceful means. In a filmed event in Sulaimaniya in the northern Kurdistan region of Iraq, a group of PKK soldiers ceremoniously burnt their rifles and guns.
On the other hand, the SDF in Syria is not being cooperative with the government over its tranition to join and integrate with the regular armed forces. Clashes took place over the weekend at Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud district between the SDF and the Syrian Army over what seems to be a botched prisoner exchange, but reports are unconfirmed.
Last week, US Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barack said that the SDF remain an important partner of the US in the fight against terrorism, but the SDF had to speed up its transition process to integrate itself with the Syrian Army and reiterated that the only road “leads to Damascus”.
The SDF signed an agreement with the Syrian government committing itself to official integration but these commitments have not yet been met with tangible developments on the ground. The SDF still exclusively controls the north Kurdistan region of Syria. On the other hand, Turkish air strikes against the SDF have stopped after the SDF signed the agreement with the Syrian government.
Newsroom
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