People celebrate after Syrian government troops took control of the town from U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during an ongoing push in Tabqa, eastern Syria, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syria's Foreign Ministry declared late Sunday that the ceasefire and full integration agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) marks a critical advance in merging state institutions, reclaiming sovereignty, and kickstarting a broad national revival.
In its statement, the ministry emphasized that Syria's "new republic" rests on citizenship principles, with the unity of its diverse people serving as the bedrock for enduring stability.
It portrayed the nation's social mosaic as a wellspring of power, not fragmentation.
The government is advancing concrete measures to solidify institutional cohesion and extend state control nationwide, including folding the SDF's military and administrative elements into official frameworks, the statement explained.
These provisions aim to secure stability, avoid power gaps, and uphold the state's sole right to enforce law through legitimate means.
Highlighting this strategy, the ministry referenced a decree from President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Friday that affirms Syrian Kurds' cultural and linguistic entitlements while resolving persistent civil and legal matters, such as statelessness and property disputes.
It framed the order as a dedication to an equitable state free from bias.
The Sunday accords, per the statement, encompass a prompt and total halt to hostilities on all lines, alongside transferring eastern Deir ez-Zor and northeastern Raqqa to complete Syrian administrative and military oversight.
This shift also covers state assumption of civilian operations and sites, retaining existing staff in pertinent ministries, and incorporating Hasakah's civilian bodies into the national system.
The ministry dubbed the agreement a "turning point," ushering in an era of consolidated institutions, secure conditions, and a holistic route to healing and rebuilding.
It urged global backing for the deal, viewing it as a prime chance to bolster local safety, enhance regional calm, and aid economic resurgence in ways that honor Syrians' endurance and losses.
The accord comes after Syrian Army offensives that reclaimed vast swaths in eastern and northeastern Syria, triggered by the SDF's alleged breaches of prior pacts from about a year ago and non-fulfillment of terms.
The SDF is primarily controlled by the YPG, regarded as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK.
President al-Sharaa revealed the deal to journalists on Sunday.
He noted a planned meeting with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi had been delayed to Monday due to inclement weather.
"To de-escalate tensions, we opted to formalize the agreement," al-Sharaa stated.
Over the weekend, government troops seized the vital city of Tabqa in Raqqa, along with the Euphrates Dam.
They pushed into Deir ez-Zor sections, including the Al-Omar oil field—Syria's biggest—following earlier gains in Aleppo.State media depicted festivities in certain zones post-announcement, such as in Raqqa, where earlier reports claimed SDF fire killed two civilians.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported clashes there between the SDF and local Arab tribal combatants.
Sharaa on Sunday met U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who called the deal with the SDF a "pivotal inflection point".
The envoy, whose country has long supported the YPG but also backs Syria's new Islamist authorities, had met Abdi in Erbil on Saturday.
The presidency released the 14-point accord's text, detailing SDF merger into the state and swift handover of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa under SDF.
It will also see Damascus take responsibility for ISIL terror group prisoners and their families held in SDF-run jails and camps.
Damascus further reported recapturing the Safyan and Al-Tharwa oil fields in Raqqa.Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir remarked that regaining these assets "unlocks vast opportunities for reconstruction, energizing farming, power, and commerce."
The military also confirmed dominance over the Euphrates Dam near Tabqa, a crucial hub for water and electricity featuring one of Syria's major hydropower plants.
