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QAMISHLI, syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria (North Press) – One year after Ahmad al-Sharaa assumed leadership of Syria’s transitional administration, the relationship between Damascus and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) remains at a delicate crossroads. While symbolic gestures and landmark agreements have offered glimmers of hope, deep mistrust, unresolved disputes, and intermittent clashes continue to define the political and security/" class="auto-internal-link">security landscape in the northeast. Over the past 12 months, both the transitional administration and the AANES have taken unprecedented steps to establish formal channels of dialogue. Yet the most vital commitments—including full ceasefire compliance, freedom of movement between regions, and facilitating the return of relocated Afrin residents—remain largely unfulfilled, highlighting structural obstacles that prevent dialogue from translating into tangible change.
One of the earliest indicators of rapprochement came with the joint adoption of the emerging syrian/" class="auto-internal-link">syrian flag in multiple areas under AANES influence, following consultations between transitional authorities and Kurdish representatives. This move was widely interpreted as a symbolic break from decades of confrontation and a potential step toward normalizing relations. In February and June, delegations from the AANES and the Syrian Democratic troops (sdf), including senior armed forces and political leaders, conducted high-level meetings in Damascus—the first of their kind since the transitional government took office. Both sides described the talks as “constructive,” covering decentralization, security coordination, counterterrorism, and the economic needs of the northeast.
The most significant breakthrough occurred on March 10, when Damascus and the AANES signed a roadmap outlining phased cooperation on governance, border security, counterterrorism, natural resource management, and relief access. The agreement set December 31 as the deadline for completing first-stage commitments. While both sides reaffirmed their backing, implementation has been slow, reflecting persistent mistrust and divergent priorities. Despite diplomatic progress, the year has also been marked by tensions on the ground.
Frequent ceasefire violations, including clashes at Tishrin Dam between SDF units and factions aligned with the Ministry of Defense, exposed weaknesses in the transitional government’s command over its armed forces components and heightened AANES concerns about Damascus’ reliability. Restrictions on movement, described by the AANES as a “soft blockade,” continue to impede the transport of goods, medical supplies, and civilians across Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, Aleppo, and Hasakah. Meanwhile, the politically sensitive issue of returning Afrin’s internally relocated residents remains unresolved. Although the AANES insists the March 10 Agreement includes mechanisms for their safe return, Damascus has deferred the issue, tying it to broader national…