Interesting. Îlham Ehmed, the co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council, the political body of the SDF that controls NE Syria, calls for the establishment of "a joint project with the Syrian opposition... to turn north & east Syria into the epicenter of shared democracy"

This statement by Ehmed https://m-syria-d.com/?p=10484&fbclid=IwAR1lHyG8J6p_rjV8z1mjMcCrcFGkSaibTLmHFlADKhalwMIneRj_sObUG_M follows statements she made publicly in September, calling for dialogue with the Syrian opposition that is independent (not subservient to foreign powers)

In the event in September, she also spoke about the need for the original Kurdish inhabitants of Efrîn to return & placed under Syrian rule, but not necessarily a return to SDF control. The area was occupied by Turkey's Syrian proxies in 2018 & most of the population displaced.

Ehmed's statements occurred following & during months of negotiations between her political party (PYD), which dominates the SDC and Kurdish opposition parties. During those talks, the PYD made significant concessions on power-sharing in NE Syria.

The negotiations tackled a particularly sensitive issue - the presence of foreign PKK cadres in NE Syria, which Kobanî recently addressed publicly for the first time, in an interview to @dkhalifa, vowing that their role will be gradually diminished https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/eastern-mediterranean/syria/sdf-seeks-path-toward-durable-stability-north-east-syria

The growing pragmatism of the SDF/SDC's leadership and willingness to compromise with political opponents, give US policy-makers a opportunity for improving relations between the forces governing areas outside of Assad regime control.

A key actor is Turkey, which has watched the negotiations between the PYD and the Kurdish opposition with concern. Turkey does not want to give any legitimacy to a Kurdish entity dominated by a Syrian party with links to the PKK.

While there's been a notable shift in the rhetoric of the PYD/SDC/SDF leadership & significant flexibility around the negotiations' table, an issue that is of great importance to Turkey - SDF bomb attacks in areas under Turkish control in Syria - little progress has been done.

In the interview to @CrisisGroup Kobanî, for the first time, implicitly admitted the SDF's responsibility for these attacks, saying they vowed to the US to de-escalate. Halting these attacks would be a clear signal to Turkey that the SDF's evolution is real.

The US has leverage over both the SDF (whose survival depends on US protection) & Turkey, which is facing US sanctions & suffering financially. It won't be easy, but a PKK/SDF-Turkey rapprochement is possible & will help ensure the safety of millions in Syria & Turkey.

Syria's frontlines have stabilized. The country is heading toward a de-facto partition, at least in the medium term. About 7.5 million Syrians live in areas outside of regime control. Those areas are characterized by insecurity & local authoritarian (but pragmatic) rulers.

Many of these problems stem from antagonistic SDF-Turkish relations. Greater safety, stability, political pluralism, trade and freedom of movement between the areas outside of regime control can be achieved if SDF-Turkish (& hence Syrian opposition) relations improve.