Syrians rally in Hasakah to demand faster integration of SDF and stronger state presence

Residents of Hasakah province in northeastern Syria held a rally to press for a faster integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into national institutions and for a stronger presence of the central state in the region, according to Anadolu Agency.

Demonstrators called specifically for the deployment of internal security forces in the province, reflecting frustration among parts of the local population over the pace of efforts to bring areas controlled by the SDF under the authority of state institutions.

Background to the demand

Hasakah has for years been administered in large part by Kurdish-led authorities and the SDF, which has also played a central role in the fight against ISIS in the area with international backing. Talks over integrating SDF-held territory and forces into Syria's state structures have been a recurring point of tension and negotiation since the fall of the former government, with various timelines and frameworks proposed and revisited.

Calls from residents for a bigger state security footprint suggest continued concern in the province over governance, security and basic services, and a desire among at least some segments of the population to see unified national institutions take a more direct role locally rather than relying on SDF-run administration.

Anadolu Agency's report did not specify the size of the rally or give an official response from either the SDF or Syrian state authorities to the demonstrators' demands. It remains unclear whether the protest will have any immediate effect on the pace of integration talks.