AFP : SDF close to making deal with Syrian government

A deal with the Syrian government is ‘inevitable’ at this juncture in the Syrian crisis, a Kurdish official in Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) told the AFP News Agency on Saturday.
Redur Khalil, a commander in the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces alliance, told AFP that Kurdish authorities and Damascus were bound to reach a deal.
“Reaching a solution between the autonomous administration and the Syrian government is inevitable because our areas are part of Syria,” said Khalil.
According to Redur, negotiations are ongoing between the government and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) for a final deal on the key city of Manbij in northeast Aleppo.
“Negotiations are ongoing with the government to reach a final formulation for administering the city of Manbij,” Khalil told AFP, adding that talks had shown “positive signs”.
If that leads to a solution that “protects the rights” of Manbij residents, a similar arrangement could be applied to SDF-controlled areas of Deir Ezzor province, east of the Euphrates river, he said.
The deployment of government forces along the Turkish border could not be ruled out, he added.
“The tasks of these forces could change, but we will not withdraw from our territory,” Khalil said, adding Kurdish fighters could be integrated into the Syrian army.