In March 2025, the Kurdish-led SDF, which controls much of Syria’s north-east and has tens of thousands of fighters, signed a deal to integrate all military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state.
Both sides accusing each other of trying to derail the negotiations that followed, with the agreement still not realised almost a year later.
The newest iteration of the ceasefire agreement was mediated by the US and other world powers, following concern that the stand-off in Aleppo risked Turkey’s involvement.
Turkey backs the Syrian government and considers the Kurdish militia that dominates the SDF a terrorist organisation.
In a post to X on Saturday, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said he had met the Syrian president and urged all parties to “exercise maximum restraint, immediately cease hostilities, and return to dialogue” in accordance with the March agreement.
He added that the US has welcomed Syria’s “historic transition”, and would extend its support to President Ahmed al-Sharaa as he “works to stabilize the country”.