Northeast Syria on Brink of Peace: Historic Agreement Paves Way for Withdrawal of Kurdish Forces

The agreement implementation in Northeast Syria marks a significant shift in the region's geopolitics, setting the stage for a fragile peace to take hold. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has long been the dominant force in the region, will be relinquishing control of territory to the government of Syria.

The SDF's control of Northeast Syria was largely dependent on its relationship with the United States, but the withdrawal of US forces from the region in October 2020 left the SDF facing significant challenges to its control. The Turkish military's incursion into Northeast Syria in October 2019, which resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people and the killing of over 1,000 civilians, further complicated the already complex power dynamics in the region.