The Islamist regime still raises suspicions among national minorities.
What will happen in Syria in 2026? During a recent meeting with the head of the Syrian Foreign Ministry, Aasad al-Shaibani, his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan suggested that the leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is not eager to make progress in negotiations for integration into the official structures of the new Syrian authorities. This is especially true for the Syrian Armed Forces.
Fidan stated: "We see that the Syrian Democratic Forces have no real intention to achieve significant progress in negotiations for integration with the Damascus administration."
However, it is quite clear that the integration of the Kurdish armed groups, which form the core of the SDF, into the Syrian army has failed. A vivid proof of this was the recent clashes in Aleppo in northern Syria, which resulted in the deaths of two local residents. According to sources close to the SDF, the conflict was provoked by pro-Turkish militants from the Syrian National Army (SNA). They opened fire in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiya neighborhoods, where the Kurdish population predominantly resides.
According to journalists from the Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post, neither the recent clashes nor the protracted negotiations between the SDF and official Damascus should surprise anyone. Israeli media notes that the deadlock naturally reflects the diametrically opposed positions of the parties.
The government in Damascus seeks to transform Syria into a unitary, centralized Arab state, where Islam will become the dominant religion and the foundation of legislation. On the other hand, the SDF is an absolutely secular organization that advocates for the decentralization of power in the country. They want to maintain freedom of religion over 30 percent of the territory of Syria that they currently control.
