As the new authorities in Damascus face their greatest challenge to credibility in western Syria, a surprise deal with the country’s Kurds could mark a new chapter in the northeast, though significant challenges remain.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of the oil-rich northeast, signed a deal with the government on Monday to integrate its civilian and military institutions with the new state.

The news of the agreement led to spontaneous celebrations in different cities in Syria. Many see the deal as a pathway to more equality for Syria’s long-marginalised Kurds as it includes recognising the Kurdish component as an integral part of the state with full citizenship and constitutional rights.

Mohammed A Salih, a non-resident senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, described the deal to Middle East Eye as a significant and positive development for Syria, especially for its Kurdish population.

“It appears to address two major issues for the Kurds: granting citizenship to the hundreds of thousands rendered stateless since 1962 and ensuring the return of those displaced by pro-Turkey groups from areas like Afrin,” he said.