Northern and Eastern Syria entered 2025 amid the fall of the Baath regime and intensified attacks by the occupying Turkish state and the mercenaries operating under its command. Following the collapse of the Baath regime, the occupying Turkish state moved to expand its zone of occupation in Syria, mobilizing the mercenary groups it controls toward Kurdish regions.
During these developments at the end of 2024, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew from Manbij under an agreement aimed at protecting the local population. Mercenary forces commanded by the Turkish state crossed the Euphrates River and attempted to advance into other parts of Rojava, but were met with strong resistance by the SDF.
Clashes concentrated around the Tishrin Dam and the Qereqozaq Bridge continued for more than a month and a half. This file presents an overall panorama of the developments that unfolded across Syria and Rojava throughout 2025.
January
The first day of 2025 began amid intense clashes.
On 4 January, a video circulated online showing the execution of two women in Idlib. The footage revealed that the person who read out the women’s “sentences” prior to the execution was an individual serving as “minister of justice” in the interim administration based in Damascus.
On 7 January, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria warned that the disabling of the Tishrin Dam would lead to a major catastrophe and called on the public to take to the streets in protest.
Responding to this call, thousands of people marched toward the Tishrin Dam on 8 January.
Journalists Cihan Bilgin and Nazım Daştan, who were killed on 19 December 2024 while covering the news in North and East Syria as a result of a drone strike by the occupying Turkish state, were laid to rest on 11 January during a ceremony held at the Şehîd Delîl Saroxan Martyrs’ Cemetery in Qamishlo.
On 14 January, representatives from North and East Syria held meetings with senior British officials. The delegation met with Sammy Wilson, a Member of Parliament from the Democratic Unionist Party, Caroline Dinenage of the Conservative Party, and former politician and diplomat Lord Jay.
On 16 January, Mazloum Abdi, General Commander of the SDF, traveled to Erbil (Hewlêr) to meet Kurdish political actors and held talks with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani.
Abdi, who has repeatedly called for Kurdish national unity in response to Turkey’s attacks on North and East Syria, reiterated this emphasis during his meetings with Kurdish parties in Erbil.
On the same day, people across North and East Syria took to the streets to protest the occupying Turkish state’s attacks on the strategically vital Tishrin Dam and the massacres it has carried out. Demonstrators called on the international community to break its silence and take action against these attacks.
On 17 January, Mazloum Abdi shared a statement on social media regarding his meeting with Masoud Barzani, saying: “I was pleased with our meeting with President Masoud Barzani. We discussed the process of change in Syria. We agreed that the positions of the Kurds in Syria should be unified and that any dialogue with Damascus must protect the rights of the Kurdish people through peaceful means. We also emphasized that preserving Kurdish unity and regional stability is a responsibility shared by all of us. We will support one another.”
On 18 January, Kurdish artist Cuma Xelîl, known as Bavê Teyar, was wounded in an attack carried out by the occupying Turkish state on the Tishrin Dam and succumbed to his injuries on 19 January.
On 19 January, Mazloum Abdi stated that the SDF was prepared to integrate its forces and institutions into Syria’s state administration, saying, “To implement these matters, we need a roadmap that we will agree upon with the administration in Damascus.”
On 28 January, the SDF Press Center announced that attacks carried out by the occupying Turkish state over the previous two days had killed a total of 14 civilians and injured 29 others, drawing attention to the deliberate targeting of civilians.
Also on 28 January, a delegation from the Democratic Syria Council (DSC) visited Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a leading figure of the Druze community, in Sweida (Suwayda). The delegation included Leyla Qereman, Co-Chair of the DSC; Ali Rehmun, Deputy Co-Chair; Janda Remo, a member of the DSC Women’s Office; and Fewzi Shengali, Secretary-General of the Kurdish Democratic Accord Party.
On 29 January, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria stated that the Turkish state had committed war crimes by killing civilians and had crossed red lines.
On the same day, Ahmed Al-Sharaa (Al-Jolani), leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), declared himself president of Syria. The announcement, made after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad and the establishment of his own administration in Damascus, marked a new political rupture in the country.
On 31 January, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had killed Muhammad Salah al-Zubayr, a senior leader of Hurras al-Din, the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, in an operation carried out in Syria.
February
On 4 February, Al-Jolani met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara.
On 5 February, the Rojava People’s Tribunal, which addresses crimes committed by the Turkish state in North and East Syria, began its hearings in Brussels. Lawyers, human rights defenders, victims of attacks, and eyewitnesses from various countries participated in the proceedings. Despite being formally invited to present a defense, no official representative from Turkey attended the hearings.
On 6 February, ahead of its final ruling, the tribunal panel delivered a preliminary statement, concluding that the Turkish state has systematically committed war crimes and crimes against humanity with genocidal intent, and called on the international community to take action.
On 7 February, Ferhad Shami, Press Spokesperson for the SDF, announced that a team from Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) involved in attacks on the Tishrin Dam and the Qereqozaq Bridge was currently in the custody of SDF forces. Shami said, “The Turkish state is now directly present within all institutions in Syria.”
On 15 February, life came to a near standstill across North and East Syria on the anniversary of the international conspiracy against Abdullah Öcalan. On the 26th anniversary of the 15 February Conspiracy, people kept their shops closed and left the streets empty in protest.
On the same day, journalist Egid Roj, a member of the Free Press, was killed in a bombardment carried out by the Turkish state targeting the Tishrin Dam.
On 17 February, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, the Democratic Syria Council, and the Syrian Democratic Forces convened a meeting to discuss the ongoing dialogue process with the administration in Damascus.
On 24 February, thirty-five political parties and movements active in Syria issued a joint position regarding the “National Dialogue Congress” planned to be held in Damascus, stating that no meaningful outcome could emerge from a process in which all social components were not represented, and that any decisions taken under such conditions would be meaningless.
On 25 February, the Autonomous Administration stated that the Syrian National Dialogue Congress did not represent the Syrian people, saying, “We are part of Syria, yet we are not represented. We are not satisfied with the content of the congress, and we will not be part of implementing its outcomes.”
On 26 February, the Syrian Women’s Council announced that it did not consider the Syrian National Congress held in Damascus to be legitimate and would not accept its decisions.
On 27 February, Abdullah Öcalan issued his historic “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society.”
March
On 7 March, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 95 fighters were killed in clashes in Syria’s coastal cities, including 50 members of forces affiliated with HTS and 45 soldiers from the former regime’s army. The Observatory also stated that 142 civilians lost their lives, including 76 in Latakia, 60 in Tartus, and 6 in Hama. It further reported that forces based in Damascus, which launched large-scale attacks in western Syria, executed 52 Alawite civilians.
On the same day, approximately 10,000 people sought refuge in Alawite villages in Lebanon due to clashes between ruling HTS forces and local groups.
On 9 March, commenting on the attacks targeting Alawites, Mazloum Abdi, General Commander of the SDF, said that Al-Jolani must hold those responsible to account. Abdi held Turkish-state-backed and ISIS-affiliated groups responsible for the attacks.
On 10 March, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the number of Alawite civilians killed in western Syria since 6 March had risen to 973.
On the same day, an agreement was reached between Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s interim head of state Ahmed Al-Jolani on several critical issues, including guaranteeing all constitutional rights of the Kurds and integrating military and civilian institutions into the general administration. The deal, which became known as the 10 March Agreement, was widely seen as a significant step opening a new chapter in Syria.
On 11 March, it was reported that the interim government in Damascus signed an agreement with representatives of the Druze community.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights later announced that the number of civilians killed in attacks against Alawites since 6 March had risen to 1,500.
On 13 March, a constitutional declaration issued by the interim administration in Damascus included provisions that stood in stark contrast to the 10 March Agreement. The draft drew widespread criticism from political and social circles across Syria. Political structures in North and East Syria strongly objected to the declaration, saying it had been prepared without consulting any segments of society.
On 14 March, it was reported that a delegation of Syrian Druze sheikhs crossed the ceasefire line in the Golan Heights to travel to Israel for a pilgrimage. This marked the first such journey by Syrian Druze since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
On 18 March, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 4,711 civilians had been killed in the first 100 days following the fall of the Assad regime, including 1,805 civilians who were subjected to extrajudicial executions.
On the same day, delegations from the Democratic Union Party and the Kurdish National Council in Syria met in Hasakah (Hesekê) as part of efforts toward Kurdish national unity.
On 19 March, the SDF Press Center announced that a meeting was held between Mazloum Abdi and committees affiliated with the interim administration in Damascus. According to the statement, the meeting was attended by Women’s Protection Units General Command member Rohilat Afrin, committee head Hisan Salameh, appointed by Al- Jolani and members from both sides.
On 21 March, tens of thousands of people participated in Newroz celebrations across North and East Syria. Newroz 2025 was marked by calls for a solution to the Kurdish question and for the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan.
On 23 March, the First Kurdish Women’s Conference in Rojava was held with broad participation at Azadi Park in Qamishlo.
On 29 March, the administration led by Al-Jolani announced the formation of a new government in Syria. The announcement was met with widespread reactions from across the country.
April
On 1 April, a 14-article agreement regarding the status of the neighborhoods was signed between the Sheikh Maqsoud (Şêxmeqsûd) and Ashrafiyah (Eşrefiyê) Neighborhoods Council and the interim administration in Damascus, covering the districts of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah in Aleppo.
On 3 April, the first article of the agreement signed between the General Assembly of the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah Neighborhoods and the Damascus administration entered into force. As part of the agreement, 146 detainees affiliated with the SDF and 97 detainees held by the Damascus administration were released.
On 4 April, the General Command of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) announced that security responsibilities in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah had been transferred to the Internal Security Forces, stating that the partial withdrawal of its forces had been completed and that remaining units would be redeployed gradually in the coming days.
On the same day, the 76th birthday of Abdullah Öcalan was marked in many cities across North and East Syria. People planted saplings and renewed their demand for Öcalan’s physical freedom.
On 12 April, a new round of talks was held between the SDF and the Damascus administration in Hasakah (Hesekê). During the meeting, the members of the committee that will represent North and East Syria in the dialogue process with the Damascus authorities were also announced.
On 13 April, discussions began on educational materials to be used in the schooling system, within the framework of the agreement signed between the SDF and the Damascus administration.
On 14 April, representatives of 24 women’s organizations and political parties from Kurdistan convened and formed the Kurdish Women’s Unity Platform.
On 16 April, two separate meetings held in Hasakah between a European delegation and the Democratic Syria Council and the SDF addressed recent developments in Syria, attacks targeting the region, and methods of political cooperation and support.
On 18 April, a security operation was launched at al-Hol Camp with the participation of SDF forces and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ).
On the same day, a delegation including SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi, YPJ General Command member Rohilat Afrin, other SDF commanders, and representatives of the international coalition traveled to the Tishrin Dam for talks.
On 23 April, the General Command of the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria announced that the operation at al-Hol Camp had been successfully completed on its sixth day, with 20 ISIS members and collaborators captured.
On 24 April, meetings held in Erbil by SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi and Ilham Ahmed, Co-Chair of the Autonomous Administration’s Department of Foreign Relations, with Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister, and Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, focused on Syria’s reconstruction and Kurdish unity.
On 26 April, the final declaration of the Rojava Kurdish Unity and Common Position Conference, held in Qamishlo with the participation of 400 delegates, was announced.
On 29 April, a delegation from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) visited the Democratic Syria Council office in Qamishlo. During the meeting, the “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” was discussed.
May
May Day celebrations across North and East Syria were held under the slogan, “Let us celebrate May Day together with the Call for Peace and a Democratic Society.”
On 4 May, a delegation representing the Vatican paid an official visit to North and East Syria. The delegation met with institutions of the Autonomous Administration, received briefings on the region’s democratic system, and observed the model of coexistence among different peoples on the ground.
On 5 May, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria announced the end of the vigil at the Tishrin Dam, which had continued for 118 days against ongoing attacks, stating that the resistance had “brought victory for the peoples.”
On 9 May, the appointment of Hatim Abu Shaqra, known as the killer of Hevrin Khalaf, to a military post by the Damascus administration sparked protests across many cities in North and East Syria, with simultaneous public statements condemning the decision.
On 11 May, a delegation from France visited the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria to assess recent developments in the region.
On 14 May, it was reported that Donald Trump, President of the United States, met in Riyadh with Syria’s interim head of state Al-Jolani.
On 20 May, a workshop titled “Kurdish Unity: Paths to Strengthening and Future Perspectives” was held in Qamishlo, aiming to reinforce Kurdish national unity and discuss a shared vision for the future.
On 24 May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Al-Jolani, head of the Damascus administration. Erdoğan formally received Al-Jolani at the Dolmabahçe Working Office. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, National Intelligence Organization head İbrahim Kalın, Defense Industry President Haluk Görgün, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, and other officials.
On the same day, the United States Department of the Treasury announced that sanctions on Syria had been eased. The United States Department of State also confirmed that Syria had been granted a 180-day waiver regarding sanctions imposed under the Caesar Act.
On 29 May, Thomas Barrack, the United States Ambassador to Turkey, together with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, inaugurated the residence of the United States Embassy in Damascus.
On 31 May, a delegation from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria traveled to Damascus to hold talks with officials of the Damascus administration.
On the same day, representatives of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Autonomous Administration, and the Democratic Syria Council held a trilateral meeting to discuss the implementation of the provisions of the agreement signed with Damascus and cooperation against ISIS. Preparations for a national conference were also on the agenda.
June
On 1 June, a delegation led by European Parliament Left Group Co-Chair Martin Schirdewan met with Ilham Ahmed, Co-Chair of the Autonomous Administration’s Department of Foreign Relations, on the final day of its visit to North and East Syria. The delegation also carried out inspections at Roj Camp, where families of ISIS members are being held.
On the same day, following a meeting between delegations from the Autonomous Administration and the Damascus administration, a joint press statement was issued. The statement said discussions focused on accelerating the implementation of the provisions of the 10 March Agreement, the formation of subcommittees, and the education dossier.
On 4 June, the delegation established following the Rojava Kurdish Unity and Common Position Conference was announced, together with its co-chairs and members.
On 22 June, a suicide attack targeted Mar Elias Church in Damascus during Sunday mass. The attacker reportedly opened fire before detonating himself inside the church. At least 25 people were killed and 63 others were seriously injured in the attack.
Following the attack, 33 political parties and organizations active in North and East Syria strongly condemned the assault on Mar Elias Church, where more than 20 people were killed, and called for those responsible to be identified and held accountable.
July
On 1 July, Donald Trump, President of the United States, signed an executive order formalizing the lifting of United States sanctions on Syria.
On 7 July, the United States announced that HTS, which controls Syria’s administration, had been removed from the “terrorist organization” list.
On 9 July, a seven-minute video message from Abdullah Öcalan was released for the first time in 26 years. People across North and East Syria took to the streets to celebrate, expressing joy at seeing Öcalan again after more than two decades.
On 13 July, the Autonomous Administration issued a statement regarding its talks with Syria’s transitional government, stressing that it would not abandon the goals of the 15 March and 19 July revolutions and underlining its readiness to contribute to the drafting of a new Syrian constitution on this basis.
On 14 July, clashes broke out between Bedouin tribes aligned with Damascus forces and local fighters in Sweida, a Druze-majority city in southern Syria, leaving 37 people dead, according to reports.
On 15 July, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 12 Druze civilians were executed by Damascus forces in Suwayda.
On the same day, following clashes that began in the morning between interim government forces and local fighters in Suwayda, where the Druze population is concentrated, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra announced a full ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the Kurdish-populated neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah in Aleppo were once again subjected to a severe fuel embargo.
On 17 July, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that, according to updated figures, more than 500 people had been killed in clashes resulting from attacks by interim government forces in Suwayda.
Members of the Druze community and activists drew attention to bodies left on roadsides for days and the uncertainty surrounding the fate of missing persons, calling for urgent intervention. Following the withdrawal of the Syrian army affiliated with the transitional government led by Al-Jolani, after four days of bloody attacks on the southern Druze city of Suwayda, residents and activists demanded that the city be declared a “disaster zone” due to the scale of destruction and loss of life.
On 18 July, the Suwayda Military Council, which operates in southern Syria, announced that control had been established over many strategic points in the city, while clashes continued in certain areas.
On 19 July, thousands of people from Kurdish, Arab, Syriac-Assyrian, and Yazidi communities participated in celebrations marking the 13th anniversary of the 19 July Revolution across North and East Syria. The events emphasized the spirit of the revolution, peace, freedom, and the construction of a democratic society.
On 20 July, Tom Barrack, the United States Special Envoy for Syria, stated, “As of 17:00 Damascus time, all parties have agreed to a pause and the cessation of hostilities.”
August
On 4 August, the SDF announced that armed groups affiliated with Syria’s Transitional Government carried out attacks on four military positions in the countryside of Deir Hafir. The SDF said it exercised its legitimate right to self-defense against attacks by what it described as “undisciplined groups” within the Transitional Government targeting front lines in the Deir Hafir area.
According to data released by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, violence across the country reached alarming levels following the collapse process of the Assad regime. The Observatory reported that at least 9,889 people were killed between 8 December 2024 and 6 August 2025 as a result of clashes, executions, and various attacks.
On 8 August, the Joint Position Conference of the Components of North and East Syria convened in Hasakah, in the Cizîr Canton. The conference was organized under the slogan, “Together for diversity that strengthens our unity and cooperation that builds our future.” Its final declaration emphasized that the gathering “reflected a shared collective will and a determination to build a free, democratic, pluralistic, and decentralized Syria.”
The martyrdom of Nureddin Sofi, one of the pioneers of the Rojava Revolution who was killed in a Turkish-state attack in 2021, was officially announced. The peoples of Rojava bid farewell to Commander Nureddin Sofi in a large and solemn ceremony. Mazloum Abdi said, “The people are grateful to Nureddin Sofi for his contributions to the revolution. Before the martyrs and our people, we promise to take up the flag you have left behind.”
On 24 August, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria reacted to the parliamentary elections planned by Syria’s Transitional Government for September. The Administration described the elections as “a formality far removed from democracy and one that excludes the will of the peoples,” calling on international institutions and the United Nations not to recognize the process.
On 25 August, a United States delegation consisting of Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, United States Representative Joe Wilson, and United States Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack visited Syria. During the visit, the delegation held two separate meetings, one with Mazloum Abdi, General Commander of the SDF, and another with the president of Syria’s Transitional Government, Al-Jolani.
September
On 1 September, armed drones belonging to the occupying Turkish state bombed the Tishrin Dam and its surrounding areas.
As part of World Peace Day events on 1 September, thousands of people took to the streets in many cities across North and East Syria, stressing that peace would not be possible without the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan. The crowds delivered the message, “The will of the peoples is the guarantee of peace.”
On 4 September, Mazloum Abdi met with CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper.
On 5 September, officials from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and Syria’s Transitional Government held a meeting in Aleppo. The talks resulted in an agreement on the implementation of the accord signed on 1 April and the establishment of relevant committees.
On 14 September, Abdullah Öcalan sent a message to Arab tribes in Cizre (Cizîr), Deir ez-Zor (Dêrazor), Raqqa (Reqa), and Tabqa (Tebqa). “I support the brotherhood and alliance of the Kurdish and Arab peoples because of their historical foundation,” Öcalan said.
On 17 September, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Syria’s Transitional Government announced that it was working on a “security agreement” with Israel concerning the country’s south. It was also reported that Damascus had withdrawn heavy weapons from the southern regions.
On 24 September, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with the president of Syria’s Transitional Government, Al-Jolani, in New York City, where he was attending the United Nations (UN) 80th General Assembly.
On 29 September, a delegation from the Democratic Syria Council held talks with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the United Kingdom, conveying a message from SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi.
On 30 September, forces affiliated with the interim government in Damascus erected high barricades on roads leading to the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods of Aleppo.
October
On 2 October, forces of Syria’s Transitional Government closed two roads leading to the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods.
On 5 October, the Transitional Government issued Decree No. 188 for 2025 on official holidays and days of commemoration. The decree ignored many celebration and remembrance days of the Kurdish people and the peoples of Syria.
On 6 October, Thomas Barrack, the United States Ambassador to Ankara and Special Envoy for Syria, met with Mazloum Abdi.
Violating the 1 April agreement, the Transitional Government sealed off all roads connecting Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah to other neighborhoods of Aleppo, deployed heavy weapons around the districts, and began mortar attacks on the two neighborhoods. At the same time, its forces attempted to enter the areas with tanks and armored vehicles.
The SDF said the developments in Aleppo were a direct result of provocations by groups affiliated with the transitional government and called on international and humanitarian organizations to take urgent and effective action to stop the provocations.
On 7 October, Ilham Ahmed, Mazloum Abdi, and Rohilat Afrin from the Autonomous Administration delegation that traveled to Damascus met with Al-Jolani and Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani from the Transitional Government.
On 9 October, Transitional Government forces established three new checkpoints at access points to Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah, stopping civilians and preventing passage.
On the same day, the 9 October International Conspiracy was protested through demonstrations held across North and East Syria.
On 10 October, Mazloum Abdi said, “A military committee will soon travel to Damascus, and the Anti-Terror Units will fight ISIS in every part of Syria.”
On 13 October, talks were held between the security and military delegation of North and East Syria and officials of the Transitional Government.
On 20 October, forces affiliated with the Transitional Government carried out attacks using medium-caliber weapons and bomb-laden drones on the Tilal Hadid area south of Sweida.
The SDF met with a Transitional Government delegation in Tabqa to address tensions in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods. Emphasizing a peaceful solution and civilian safety, the SDF handed over several detainees as a goodwill gesture.
On 28 October, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Cizre Canton organized the First Cizre Canton Commune Conference under the slogan, “Building communes is the foundation of a democratic and free society.”
ISIS mercenaries intensified their attacks on North and East Syria in October, carrying out 18 attacks. In the assaults, five SDF fighters and two civilians were killed, while ten SDF fighters, four members of the Internal Security Forces, and two civilians were wounded.
November
On 1 November, World Kobanê Day was celebrated with enthusiasm in many centers.
On 9 November, Syria’s interim president Al-Jolani traveled to Washington for an official visit following the United States’ decision to remove him from its terrorism list.
On 14 November, the Aleppo Internal Security Forces announced that checkpoints in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah had been removed in order to ensure the successful implementation of the 1 April agreement.
On 19 November, Mazloum Abdi and Ilham Ahmed, Co-Chair of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria’s Department of Foreign Relations, met with Masoud Barzani in Duhok.
On 20 November, the 5th Rojava International Film Festival, organized by the Rojava Film Commune and the Mesopotamian Democratic Culture and Arts Movement (TEV-ÇAND), concluded on its eighth day at the Mihemed Şêxo Culture and Arts Center in Qamishlo. The major cultural and cinematic gathering was attended by representatives of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, officials from the Cizîre Canton, the Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM), women’s organizations, cultural institutions, political parties, numerous directors and filmmakers, as well as participants from Spain, the United Kingdom, Northern Kurdistan, and Damascus.
On 25 November, tens of thousands of women participated in demonstrations held in many centers to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
On 28 November, a group of motorcyclists took to the streets in Homs, unfurled ISIS flags, and rode through the city in a convoy.
December
On 8 December, marking the first anniversary of the collapse of the Baath regime, the Democratic Syria Council stated that the event represented “a significant step that ended an era of oppression and opened the door to a new Syria after 14 years of war, forced displacement, and repression.”
On 13 December, forces affiliated with the Transitional Government increased checkpoints and patrols around the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods.
On 14 December, Sheikh Khezal Khezal, President of the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council of Syria and the Diaspora, said in a statement following the end of the “dignity hunger strike” that the current authorities were unable to offer the peoples a secure future, and called for a federal and democratic system of governance.
On 18 December, the North and East Syria Negotiation Committee announced that a preliminary agreement had been reached on the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army, and that details regarding the functioning of institutions were under discussion.
On the same day, the United States Congress passed legislation paving the way for the lifting of sanctions on Syria.
On 22 December, armed groups affiliated with the Transitional Government launched an attack on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods of Aleppo. During the ongoing assaults, one woman was killed and six civilians were injured. It drew attention that the attacks took place on the same day Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan traveled to Damascus.