Syria Releases SDF-Affiliated Detainees; Extends Citizenship Deadline for Kurds

The Syrian transitional government released a new batch of SDF-affiliated detainees as part of ongoing negotiations with Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria. The Interior Ministry also extended the citizenship application deadline for Kurds by 15 days, following a January 2026 presidential decree granting citizenship to stateless Kurds — primarily Kurds who had been stripped of Syrian citizenship under the 1962 census. The moves were part of broader confidence-building measures with the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) amid stalled integration negotiations. Four SDF brigades had previously been incorporated into the Syrian army, but substantive talks on administrative and political integration had hit obstacles over disputes on the appointment of local officials, educational certificate recognition, and women's representation.