As US Hints of Withdrawal From Syria, Kurdish Groups Face Uncertain Future

Both Damascus and Ankara have rejected calls for a Kurdish autonomous region in northeastern Syria.

U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters stand on their vehicles, as they withdraw from two neighbourhoods in Syria's northern city of Aleppo as part of a deal with the Syrian central government, in Aleppo, Syria, on April 4, 2025. AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed

Speculation has mounted in recent weeks that the United States plans to withdraw the bulk of its forces from Syria following a decade-long deployment.

It remains unclear how a reduction in U.S. forces would affect Washington’s allies in the region, especially the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which the United States has armed and supported since 2015.