Syria's government has made a landmark deal with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The agreement will gradually merge Kurdish forces and institutions into the Syrian state. This follows weeks of clashes where Syrian troops reclaimed large areas in the northeast, previously held by the SDF for over ten years. US envoy Tom Barrack called the deal "a profound and historic milestone in Syria's journey toward national reconciliation, unity, and enduring stability." Earlier this month, after major territorial losses, the SDF accepted a ceasefire, handing much control back to the government, though some clashes happened after. Friday's agreement is similar to the earlier 14-point deal. It includes SDF withdrawal from contact points, with its members joining the Syrian army and administration. It also plans the integration of Kurdish civil bodies into state institutions. The SDF announced the creation of a military division with three brigades from its members. The deal ensures Kurdish civil and educational rights, and guarantees that displaced people can return home. Control over prisons, oil, and gas fields, including the Omar oilfield—the largest in Syria—were handed to Damascus. The army recently took over the strategic Tabqa dam on the Euphrates River after SDF pullback. With US support, the Kurds had controlled nearly a third of Syria, helping defeat Islamic State. Now, these losses mark the biggest change in Syrian territory since President Ahmed al-Sharaa took power after the 13-year civil war. After the ceasefire on 18 January, President Sharaa expressed hope for ending Syria’s division. He also recognized Kurdish cultural, linguistic, and civil rights by making Kurdish a national language, granting nationality to stateless Kurds, and declaring their new year a national holiday—the first formal Kurdish national recognition since 1946. This agreement ends months of stalled talks and mutual accusations over a planned March 2025 integration deal.