Seven years after being displaced, Kurdish families return to Serekaniye - analysis

Around 700 Kurdish families are returning to Serekaniyeh in northern Syria, seven years after a Turkish invasion displaced them. The return follows a reconciliation agreement between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the new Syrian government, and the dissolution of the SDF. Turkey is returning parts of northern Syria to Syrian control, enabled by peace talks between the PKK and Turkey.

Around 700 displaced Kurdish families are returning to Serekaniyeh in northeastern Syria, seven years after Turkey's 'Peace Spring' operation in October 2019 forced thousands to flee. The return is enabled by a reconciliation and integration agreement between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the new Syrian government, which began in March 2025 but gained traction after clashes in January. The SDF is being dissolved, paving the way for Syrian unification. Turkey, which had backed Syrian rebel proxies (the SNA) to fight the SDF, is now returning parts of northern Syria to Syrian government control, facilitated by peace talks between the PKK and Turkey. The first convoy of 410 families returned in mid-August from the Washokani camp, with each family receiving $10,000 from the Syrian Interim Government for home renovation. Some returnees were attacked by Arabs living in the area. Kurdish students protested on September 8 over insufficient Kurdish language instruction in schools, as the Syrian government promotes an Arabic curriculum. The return addresses a tragedy that unfolded in 2019, when the US briefly considered leaving Syria, leading to a complex mosaic of control involving Turkey, the SNA, the Assad regime, Russia, the US, and the SDF.