07.04.25 – 13.04.25
Further meetings between SDF and the Damascus administration
Following the 8 article agreement that was made on March 10 a second meeting was held between the two parts on April 12 to discuss it’s progress, this time in Hesekê. The efforts to reduce tensions in Syria and end current conflicts were centered in the meeting, with the importance of protecting Tishrin Dam from military attacks as a priority. It was symbolized through a joint visit to the dam by other delegates on the same day. In addition a proposal was made to establish a committee ensuring the return of displaced people.
Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah developments
The transfer of control over checkpoints in Aleppo is now underway, according to the agreement signed on April 1 between the General Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods and the Damascus administration. Transportation routes that were closed for four months have now reopened, and barriers have been removed through collaboration between local authorities. Suraqa Emorî, a representative from the General Security Authority of the Damascus government, stated that efforts to release detainees will begin following the removal of barriers and the reconstruction of checkpoints. This serves as an ongoing attempt to move from negotiations to addressing previous and existing tensions, and as of now Suraqa reports “…the process of releasing detainees from both sides is ongoing without interruption and is expected to be completed soon”.
Talks between Israel and Turkey
After the tensions last week both Turkey and Israel have met in Azerbaijan to discuss de-escalation of the situation in Syria. Talks concerned rules of non-engagement and to this day the topic is not concluded. This took place while Netanyahu was at the White House meeting with Trump, who in turn talked about his good relations with Turkey and how he “congratulated Ergodan for taking over Syria”.
USAID resumed for limited food programmes
While trying to push the envelope for how quickly one can hollow out US agencies (and consolidate power to loyalists) Trumps’ administration is now facing some hard limits and successful pushback. One result has been the reinstatement of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) food programmes for almost all countries previously receiving it. This happened due to the World Food Programme (WFP) warning that the cuts could “amount to a death sentence for millions of people facing extreme hunger and starvation.” Syria is among the countries whose aid is restored, while Afghanistan and Yemen remain excluded due to “concerns of benefiting terrorist groups.”
Afrin transition
The withdrawal of SNA forces from the territories of Afrin continues. The mercenaries are being replaced by the HTS, the new Syrian Army, and the SNA roadblocks are disappearing. Kurdish families who fled the Turkish invasion have started to return to the region.
In place of Ghazi Entebbe, al-Sharaa appointed Masoud Betal, who is Kurdish but not affiliated with the SDF, as head of the region.
The situation in Afrin remained critically difficult for the Kurdish population even after the fall of the regime. The region was overrun by SNA fighters, the Kurdish population was subjected to violence and killings, and cultural heritage was destroyed. The consequences of seven years of occupation by Turkey and its mercenaries and the forced resettlement of the Arab population from Turkey into Afrin cannot be undone in a few months. Nevertheless, the first steps towards the implementation of the 10 March agreements are taking place.
Barzani’s Kurdish Women’s Forum
On 13 April, the first Kurdish Women’s Forum opened in Erbil. Masoud Barzani spoke at the opening about the importance of women in the history of Iraqi Kurdistan.
The conference will address critical issues through five main themes:
Government and Parliament – Enhancing women’s representation and policy influence.
Party Organization – Strengthening women’s roles within KDP structures.
Elections and Regional Presidency – Ensuring fair participation in leadership roles.
Kurdistan Women’s Union – Expanding advocacy and support networks.
Social Media – Leveraging digital platforms for awareness and engagement.
Resolutions are to be implemented under Barzani’s supervision.
Damascus Appoints Former Pro-Turkish Commander as Deputy Defense Minister
On Saturday, the defense ministry announced several new appointments in the new Syrian Army, among them a new deputy for the Defense Minister: Fahim Issa. He is the former commander of the Turkish-backed Sultan Murad Division that operated under the SNA. Those appointments follow a trend of incorporation of past opposition figures into the ranks of the new Syrian Army. It is still unclear if it will result in factionalism or in the neutralization of those past-opposition figures.
SDF did not issue any statements about the new appointments.
# Reflections
We started writing these updates four months ago in anticipation of the regime’s downfall. Those were very eventful days and they brought with them a redistribution of forces in the region, heightened conflicts, uncertainty and hope. But, as is usually the case in the volatile world of fast information, the situation in Syria fades into the background amid other, sometimes more colourful and dramatic, world events. In this sense, working within the media landscape is always quite contradictory: stabilising the situation does not play into the hands of the main goal of the media – to draw attention to the problem. As a reader of these updates, this we’re sure is not an unfamiliar dynamic.
And yet stabilisation is imaginary. Syria is still a bone of contention between Turkey and Israel, who each have their own interests and defend them in different ways, but with the same outcome: destruction of infrastructure and loss of life – but still with tacit or loud encouragement from Western countries. Northeast Syria has to balance on the thin rope of diplomacy to move forward with its revolutionary goals.
The 10 March agreements are constantly called into question by the contradictions that characterise the HTS government: yes, we are now talking about Afrin passing into the hands of the new Syrian government and even have a Kurdish representative in the governor’s office. But what does this mean in the context of the composition of the new Syrian government, which is notorious for including representatives with Turkish citizenship or years of residence in Turkey?
When the hot phase of any physical conflict subsides, it’s easy to lose sight of reality and become entangled in endless diplomatic intricacies. Yet life on the ground continues, and no situation is ever truly final. While it would be misleading to suggest that everything is just beginning, given that the groundwork was laid centuries ago, a new round of tensions is certainly on the horizon. Whether the next hotspot erupts between Turkey and Israel, the US and Iran, amid a further transformation within HTS, or from an entirely unforeseen threat remains uncertain. What is clear is that, sooner or later, we will find ourselves drawn back into the heart of conflict.
Beneath these recurring crises lie the long-term challenges of rival empires vying for influence over Syria and the persistent upheavals spawned by the crisis of capitalism. However, recognizing these complex truths is also an opportunity: by understanding the past and the systemic roots of our current challenges, we empower ourselves to work toward transformative change. Every era of hardship has spurred new movements and ideas and more importantly; an ability to see and find each other. Not by ignoring the systems of oppression but by linking arms to challenge it.
Rather than resigning to an inescapable cycle, let us choose to engage, dream, and collaborate on building a more just and liveable future. History shows that even in the darkest times the seeds of life are sown. And while each generation has had their version of what felt like the end, our task now as always is to nurture them, together.
Revolutionary greetings! 🖤