SBC Statement in Response to Jeremy Corbyn MP’s Letter on Northeast Syria

22 January 2026

Dear Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP,

We are the Syrian British Consortium, a UK-based Syrian advocacy body that has long worked towards building a democratic, inclusive, and free Syria. We have taken note of your 12 January letter to the Foreign Secretary regarding recent developments in the country and the situation of Kurdish communities. While we agree that civilian protection, political inclusion, and lasting stability represent central priorities for Syria, we are concerned about several factual and contextual inaccuracies described in your letter which distort the legal and security developments on the ground.

First, you have failed to mention in your letter the grave and sustained violations committed by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) throughout the years that it has maintained control of the northeastern Syrian provinces. Such violations—many of which amount to international crimes—include arbitrary arrests, torture, crackdown against peaceful protesters, forced displacement, forced conscription of children, and other violations as documented by the UN and other bodies. Following the recent escalation in violence, the SDF has furthermore been implicated in actions that raised serious humanitarian concerns, including indiscriminate shelling of residential areas in Aleppo and the use of drones against hospitals and civilian administrative infrastructure, resulting in civilian casualties.  

Second, clashes in Aleppo city, including Sheikh Maqsoud, have now ended, and the Syrian government has restored security and initiated stabilisation measures. Throughout the fighting, the Syrian government undertook a number of precautions—including organising civilian evacuations during the fighting and coordinating their return following the cessation of hostilities—to limit civilian harm and avoid prolonged urban combat, as documented through official Syrian government communications as well as independent local and regional reporting from Aleppo.

Third, developments since the 18 January ceasefire agreement represent more than a temporary halt in fighting. The agreement establishes a framework that ends parallel armed authority in the country and unifies security control under state institutions. It provides for the withdrawal of armed elements from civilian areas, the removal of non-Syrian armed leadership, and the dissolution or absorption of compliant forces into national structures. In practical terms, this framework brings the era of autonomous armed governance to a close and significantly reduces the risk of renewed escalation.

Fourth, Presidential Decree No. 13, signed by Syrian President al-Sharaa on 16 January, constitutes a historic and binding legal recognition of Kurdish civil, cultural, linguistic, and political rights within the Syrian state. The decree affirms equal citizenship under law, thus removing the political rationale for continued armed mobilisation as a means of securing rights. Kurdish citizens are recognised as an integral and protected part of Syria’s national fabric, and collective blame or discrimination is explicitly rejected.

Regarding your concerns of displacement, it is important to clarify that temporary civilian evacuation—particularly in Aleppo—was coordinated by the Syrian Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour as well as local authorities, with the stated aim of civilian protection. Evacuated civilians were provided shelter and have since largely returned to their homes, in direct contradiction to your claim of permanent displacement or demographic engineering.

Finally continued engagement with armed elements that reject the 18 January agreement risks undermining stabilisation efforts and internationally recognised counter-terrorism obligations, particularly where non-Syrian or designated actors are involved. The agreement thus offers a pathway away from militarisation toward lawful political participation and civilian protection.

SBC remains committed to constructive dialogue and is prepared to share further evidence-based briefings with your office. We believe that sustained peace in Syria will be achieved not through the perpetuation of armed structures, but through law-based inclusion, unified governance, and the protection of all civilians without distinction.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Yasmine Nahlawi

Chairperson

Syrian British Consortium