Syria rejects federalism, urges Kurds to join army
Abdi met with Syria's leader in Damascus on Wednesday in the presence of a US envoy to discuss stalled efforts to integrate the country's autonomous Kurdish administration into the Syrian state. The Kurds, who control vast swathes of territory in Syria's north, including oil and gas fields, have demanded a decentralized system of governance, which the new Islamist authorities in Damascus have rejected.
A Kurdish Syrian official said, on condition of anonymity, that a meeting took place on Wednesday between Abdi and Sharaa. The official added that Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, also attended. The delegations were expected to discuss 'the relationship between the autonomous (Kurdish) administration and the government in Damascus, as well as economic and military issues', the official said.
A Syrian government source told the official Alekhbariah television channel on Wednesday that Damascus remained committed to 'the principle of 'One Syria, One Army, One Government', and categorically rejects any form of division or federalization'. 'The Syrian army is the national institution that unites all children of the homeland, and the state welcomes the integration of Syrian fighters from the SDF into its ranks within the approved constitutional and legal frameworks,' the source said.
The source also warned that any delays in implementing integration risked hindering efforts to 'restore security and stability to all regions'. The US-backed SDF spearheaded the offensive that ultimately led to the territorial defeat of the Islamic State group in Syria.
In an interview with Kurdish channel Kurdistan 24, Barrack said that while he recognized the SDF's role in the fight against the IS group, it had to accept the 'reality' that 'the only future path for them is Damascus'.
Sharaa, whose forces led the offensive that toppled former Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad after more than 13 years of civil war, has called for the dissolution of all armed groups in Syria. In an interview in May, Abdi emphasized the need for a 'decentralized Syria where all its components live with their full rights', an outcome he accused Syria's new authorities of opposing. The same month, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani warned that delaying the integration of the autonomous Kurdish administration could 'open the door to foreign interference, and fuel separatist tendencies'.— AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Syria rejects federalism, urges Kurds to join army
DAMASCUS: Syria reiterated its rejection of federalism on Wednesday following a meeting with a Kurdish military official, calling on Kurdish forces to join the ranks of government forces. Mazloum Abdi of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) -- the Kurdish administration's de facto army—and interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa first struck an accord for integration in March with US backing, but its implementation has been held up by differences between the two parties. Abdi met with Syria's leader in Damascus on Wednesday in the presence of a US envoy to discuss stalled efforts to integrate the country's autonomous Kurdish administration into the Syrian state. The Kurds, who control vast swathes of territory in Syria's north, including oil and gas fields, have demanded a decentralized system of governance, which the new Islamist authorities in Damascus have rejected. A Kurdish Syrian official said, on condition of anonymity, that a meeting took place on Wednesday between Abdi and Sharaa. The official added that Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, also attended. The delegations were expected to discuss 'the relationship between the autonomous (Kurdish) administration and the government in Damascus, as well as economic and military issues', the official said. A Syrian government source told the official Alekhbariah television channel on Wednesday that Damascus remained committed to 'the principle of 'One Syria, One Army, One Government', and categorically rejects any form of division or federalization'. 'The Syrian army is the national institution that unites all children of the homeland, and the state welcomes the integration of Syrian fighters from the SDF into its ranks within the approved constitutional and legal frameworks,' the source said. The source also warned that any delays in implementing integration risked hindering efforts to 'restore security and stability to all regions'. The US-backed SDF spearheaded the offensive that ultimately led to the territorial defeat of the Islamic State group in Syria. In an interview with Kurdish channel Kurdistan 24, Barrack said that while he recognized the SDF's role in the fight against the IS group, it had to accept the 'reality' that 'the only future path for them is Damascus'. Sharaa, whose forces led the offensive that toppled former Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad after more than 13 years of civil war, has called for the dissolution of all armed groups in Syria. In an interview in May, Abdi emphasized the need for a 'decentralized Syria where all its components live with their full rights', an outcome he accused Syria's new authorities of opposing. The same month, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani warned that delaying the integration of the autonomous Kurdish administration could 'open the door to foreign interference, and fuel separatist tendencies'.— AFP
Arab Times
3 days ago
- Arab Times
Jailed Kurdish militant leader urges PKK fighters to disarm ahead of symbolic peace ceremony
ANKARA, Turkey, July 9, (AP): The jailed leader of a Kurdish militant group renewed Wednesday a call for his fighters to lay down their arms, days before a symbolic disarmament ceremony is expected to take place as a first concrete step in a peace process with the Turkish state. In a seven-minute video message broadcast on pro-Kurdish Medya Haber's YouTube channel, Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, declared that the peace initiative had reached a stage that required practical steps. "It should be considered natural for you to publicly ensure the disarmament of the relevant groups in a way that addresses the expectations of the (Turkish parliament) and its commission, dispels public doubts, and fulfills our commitments,' Ocalan said. "I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons. And I call on you to put this principle into practice.' Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since 1999, first urged the PKK in February to convene a congress and formally dissolve itself. Responding to his call, the PKK announced in May that it would disband and renounce armed conflict, ending four decades of hostilities. Ocalan's call to end the fighting marked a pivotal step toward ending the decades-long conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s. His message broadcast on Wednesday appeared to be aimed at convincing fighters who may still be hesitant about abandoning armed struggle. He delivered his message flanked by fellow inmates. In a first step toward the PKK's disarmament process, a group of its fighters is expected later this week to lay down their arms in a symbolic ceremony to be held in Sulaymaniyah, in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region. Zagros Hiwar, a PKK spokesman, said a group of 20 to 30 fighters would descend from the mountains and destroy their weapons in front of civil society organizations and invited observers. The PKK has long maintained bases in the mountains of northern Iraq. Turkish forces have launched offensives and airstrikes against the PKK in Iraq and have set up bases in the area. The Iraqi government in Baghdad announced last year an official ban on the separatist group, which has long been prohibited in Turkey.
Kuwait Times
4 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Erdogan, pro-Kurdish MPs meet in ‘new phase' of reconciliation
ANKARA: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (center), MPs of Turkey's pro-Kurdish Equality and Democracy (DEM) party Pervin Buldan (second left) and Mithat Sancar (left), head of Turkish Intelligence Ibrahim Kalin (right) and Justice and Development (AK) Party Deputy Chairman Efkan Ala (second right) posing during their meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara. -- AFP ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish DEM party Monday to discuss the next steps after PKK militants agreed to end their decades-long insurgency. DEM, Turkey's third-biggest party, has played a key role in facilitating an emerging peace deal between the government and jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, whose Kurdish militant group is expected to begin laying down its weapons later this week. The meeting, which lasted just over an hour, brought together Erdogan, Efkan Ala, a senior figure in his ruling AKP, and spy chief Ibrahim Kalin with DEM lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar. 'Our delegation conveyed their views and suggestions on the new stage the process has reached and what to do next,' the DEM lawmakers said in a brief statement after the talks. DEM lawmaker Buldan called the meeting 'historic'. 'The process is now entering a new phase in which consultations are needed,' she told reporters before the meeting. 'It is important to consult to take the necessary steps,' she added, saying the sides would 'exchange views'. Fellow DEM lawmaker Mithat Sancar said the new phase was 'very important' and that they would use the meeting to 'share our views' and to 'listen to them'. 'We will consult with the president and his delegation about the characteristics of this new phase and the upcoming requirements.' On Sunday, the pair held a 'very productive' meeting with Ocalan on Imrali prison island. The jailed 76-year-old PKK founder also characterized the upcoming talks with Erdogan as 'historic'. He told them a parliamentary commission being set up would 'play a major role' in directing the peace process. The meeting came as the PKK was to hold a ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan to start destroying a first tranche of weapons — which will likely take place on or around July 10-12. Erdogan said the move would give momentum to peace efforts with the Kurds. The disarmament process is expected to unfold over the coming months. — AFP
