📰 Analyst says SDF file central to Damascus’ parallel Ankara-Moscow tracks

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Russian political analyst Dmitry Bridzhe stated on Wednesday that Syria’s transitional administration is managing a complex set of interconnected regional arrangements, with the Syrian Democratic troops (SDF) at the center of efforts to stabilize northern Syria and prevent the country from sliding into multiple arenas of crisis.   In remarks to North Press, Bridzhe stated the latest visit of a Syrian administration delegation to Moscow—coinciding with the arrival of a Turkish security, armed forces, and political delegation in Damascus—should not be viewed as routine diplomacy. The Syrian delegation included the ministers of foreign affairs and defense, along with intelligence authorities. He added that the timing reflects Damascus’ attempt to manage parallel and interlinked regional tracks, with the SDF file forming the backbone of these negotiations.   The analyst explained that Damascus is balancing two primary tracks.

The first is the Damascus–Ankara track, which he characterized as a fast-moving, security-driven track focused on managing the SDF issue, securing borders, and preventing a potential Turkish armed forces escalation. The second is the Damascus–Moscow track, which Bridzhe described as strategic in nature, aimed at redefining Syria’s political, military, and economic relationship with Russia in the post-2024 phase.   Bridzhe stressed that Damascus is not merely seeking Moscow’s endorsement of understandings reached with Ankara, but is presenting a wider negotiating agenda related to redefining roles in Syria from 2026 onward. He emphasized that the SDF issue remains a central pillar of the current political landscape.

In fact, while pivotal, the SDF file is not the only sensitive dossier, he noted, pointing to the Druze issue in Suwayda in southern Syria. He added that progress on coastal and southern files remains closely linked to resolving the SDF question.   Bridzhe also pointed to latest clashes in Aleppo, which coincided with the Turkish visit, as evidence of the close link between battlefield developments and diplomacy. The subsequent truce, he said, underscored that the SDF issue is not theoretical, and that limited security escalations can be used to impose emerging realities.   He concluded that the parallel Ankara and Moscow tracks reflect Damascus’ efforts to manage a broader package of core issues, including restructuring northeastern Syria and the SDF’s future, containing Turkish escalation, defining Russia’s role, addressing the southern file, and advancing economic recovery and international reintegration.   Reporting by Abdulsalam Khoja Editing by Jwan Shekaki