Kurds plan Damascus talks as visions for Syria collide
Aldar Xelil of Democratic Union Party (PYD) attends an interview with Reuters at his office in Hasaka, Syria, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman
HASAKEH, Syria - Syrian Kurdish parties will send a delegation to Damascus soon for talks over their region's political future, a leading Kurdish politician said, as they seek to advance their goal of regional autonomy despite opposition from the Islamist rulers.
More than six months after Bashar al-Assad was toppled, Kurdish demands for regional autonomy have emerged as one of the main fault lines in the new Syria, opposed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his powerful allies in neighbouring Turkey.
Oppressed by Assad, rival Syrian Kurdish groups last month issued a shared vision calling for the unification of the Kurdish regions as a political and administrative unit within a federal Syria, aiming to safeguard Kurdish gains during the war.
"Our Kurdish vision document will be the basis for negotiations with Damascus. The delegation is close to being ready to negotiate with Damascus," Aldar Xelil, a member of the presidential council of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the dominant faction in northeastern Syria, told Reuters.
But he added: "We may face some difficulties because their position is still inflexible."
His comments point to the limited progress in bridging gaps between the sides since they signed a deal in March aimed at integrating the Kurdish-led security forces and other governing bodies in northeastern Syria with the central state in Damascus.
The Kurdish-led authorities have already had contacts with Damascus, including via a committee tasked with discussing the future of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, a powerful security force backed by the United States.
Last month's Kurdish declaration was adopted by both the PYD and its main rival, the Kurdish National Council (ENKS).
'WE SEEK DISCUSSION'
Following the declaration, Sharaa's office issued a statement rejecting any attempt "to impose a partition or create separatist cantons" without a national consensus.
The Kurdish groups have in turn rejected the transitional arrangements drawn up by his administration, including a constitutional declaration that focused power in Sharaa's hands and strengthened the role of Islamic law.
Xelil described the steps taken by Damascus as unilateral but added: "We seek discussion and participation."
Calls for federal rule have gathered momentum in Syria since March's mass killings of members of the Alawite minority by Islamist militants in western Syria's coastal region, with some Alawites also calling for decentralized rule.
Xelil said the role of the Kurdish-led security forces was to ensure the "security and safety of this region" and if this is "not guaranteed constitutionally, legally, and politically, then discussing the issue of weapons will be futile".
Turkey, which has emerged with big influence in the new Syria, has long opposed Syrian Kurdish autonomy. After last month's announcement, President Tayyip Erdogan dismissed calls for federalism as "nothing more than a raw dream".
Turkey's suspicion of the dominant Syrian Kurdish group stems from its ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which earlier this month decided to dissolve itself and end decades of armed struggle with Turkey.
Xelil said he expected the PKK move to impact Turkey's position on Syria.
"Turkey viewed the presence of the PKK or groups influenced by it as a pretext for attacking northeastern Syria," he said. "There will be no pretext for Turkey to attack the region." REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
16 minutes ago
- CNA
India braces for higher US tariffs, eyes broader trade deal, sources say
NEW DELHI: India is preparing to face higher US tariffs – likely between 20 per cent and 25 per cent – on some of its exports as a temporary measure, as it holds off on fresh trade concessions ahead of Washington's Aug 1 deadline, two Indian government sources said. Instead, New Delhi plans to resume broader trade negotiations when a US delegation visits in mid-August, with the goal of finalising a comprehensive bilateral agreement by September or October, one of the Indian officials told Reuters. "Talks are progressing well, and a delegation is expected in Delhi by mid-August,' one of the Indian government officials said, adding that President Donald Trump could issue a tariff letter imposing duties of 20 or 25 per cent in a "worst-case scenario". "However, we assume it would be a temporary measure, considering the five rounds of trade talks that have taken place. A deal will soon be worked out,' the official said. Trump said on Monday (Jul 28) that most partners that do not negotiate separate trade deals would soon face tariffs of 15 per cent to 20 per cent on their exports to the United States, well above the broad 10 per cent tariff he imposed in April. His administration will notify some 200 countries soon of their new "world tariff" rate. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC on Monday that talks with India required more negotiations as Trump was more interested in good deals than quick deals. However, agriculture and dairy remain 'no-go' areas, with India unwilling to allow imports of genetically modified soybean or corn, or to open its dairy sector. Total bilateral goods trade reached about US$129 billion in 2024, with India posting a trade surplus of nearly US$46 billion. India is holding back on fresh offers while calibrating its strategy amid broader US tariff threats targeting BRICS nations, including India, over issues such as de-dollarisation and purchases of Russian oil, said another official. "We remain hopeful of securing a deal that gives Indian exporters preferential access compared to our peers," the official said. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to media. India's commerce ministry and the US Trade Representative's Office did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comments. "We need more negotiations with our Indian friends to see how ambitious they want to be," Greer said. Analysts said, without a deal, Indian exports could face average US tariffs of around 26 per cent, higher than those faced by Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan or the European Union.
Straits Times
16 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Russian air strikes kill 19 in southeastern Ukraine
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A serviceman accompanies a prisoner at the site of the penal colony hit by a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine July 29, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine - Russian air strikes on southeastern Ukraine killed at least 19 people overnight, officials said on Tuesday, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would shorten a deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to make peace. Sixteen people were killed and dozens wounded when Russia bombed a prison in the front-line Zaporizhzhia region in an attack Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said was "deliberate". "The Russians could not have been unaware that they were targeting civilians in that facility," he wrote on X. "And this was done after a completely clear position was voiced by the United States." Separately, a missile strike on a hospital in the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region killed a 23-year-old pregnant woman and two others, Zelenskiy added. He said a total of 22 people had been killed over the past 24 hours. Russia, which denied targeting civilians in Tuesday's attacks, has intensified airstrikes on Ukrainian towns and cities behind front lines of its full-scale invasion, now in its fourth year, as it gradually pushes ahead on the battlefield. Russian forces hold around a fifth of Ukrainian territory. Trump, underscoring his frustration with Putin, said on Monday he would give 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress towards ending the war. The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it had "taken note" of Trump's statement. "The special military operation continues," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, employing the term that Moscow uses for its war effort in Ukraine. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Grace Fu apologises for Tanjong Katong sinkhole, says road may stay closed for a few more days Singapore Terrorism threat in Singapore remains high, driven by events like Israeli-Palestinian conflict: ISD Singapore S'pore can and must meaningfully apply tech like AI in a way that creates jobs for locals: PM Wong Singapore 7, including child and firefighter, taken to hospital after fire breaks out in Toa Payoh flat Sport IOC president Kirsty Coventry a 'huge supporter' of Singapore Singapore Man on trial for raping woman who hired him to repair lights in her flat Singapore Doctor who forged certificates for aesthetic procedures gets 4 months' jail Singapore ICA inspector obtained bribes in the form of sex acts from 6 foreign men in exchange for his help 'SCREAMING, MOANING' Following Tuesday's attack on the prison, across the Dnipro River from Russian-occupied territory, injured inmates waded through rubble and broken glass. Bandaged and bloody, they sat stunned as guards yelled out a roll call. Ukraine's justice ministry said the prison's dining hall had been destroyed and other parts of the facility damaged in a strike that involved four high-explosive bombs and also wounded 42 people. It had originally said 17 people were killed but later revised its tally. "People were screaming, moaning," said prisoner Yaroslav Samarskiy, 54, recalling the aftermath of the strike. "Some dead, some alive, some without legs - half of them burned." Separately, five people were killed on Tuesday morning in the northeastern Kharkiv region after a Russian strike on a humanitarian aid point in a front-line village, a senior police official said. REUTERS
Straits Times
16 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine's live-blogging lawmakers fuel public anger at parliament
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Lawmaker Oleksii Honcharenko holds smartphones as he live streams a session of Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine January 8, 2025. REUTERS/Andrii Nesterenko/File Photo KYIV - Swivelling his selfie camera around the floor of Ukraine's parliament, opposition lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko beamed out a real-time view of colleagues fast-tracking legislation that would soon spark the biggest political crisis since Russia's invasion. "Friends, this is how parliamentarianism is being destroyed in Ukraine," he said in the July 22 broadcast to his more than 2 million social media subscribers. Honcharenko is one of a handful of politicians in Ukraine's parliament, mostly from the opposition, who have filled the gap left by a wartime suspension of an official live broadcast. They provide followers with play-by-play text and visual updates of Ukraine's thorny politics, which helped to fuel a popular backlash against a law pushed through last week by the ruling party to defang anti-corruption watchdogs. The practice of airing parliamentary sessions, once a staple of Ukraine's vibrant political culture, was scrapped after Russia's February 2022 invasion because it was considered a security risk. Honcharenko and several other opposition members stepped in, using their platforms increasingly since 2023 to keep Ukrainians up to speed on the inner workings of Ukraine's 450-seat legislature. Events there captured public attention last week after lawmakers led by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's Servant of the People party rammed through measures curbing the powers of two prominent anti-corruption agencies. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Grace Fu apologises for Tanjong Katong sinkhole, says road may stay closed for a few more days Singapore Terrorism threat in Singapore remains high, driven by events like Israeli-Palestinian conflict: ISD Singapore S'pore can and must meaningfully apply tech like AI in a way that creates jobs for locals: PM Wong Singapore 7, including child and firefighter, taken to hospital after fire breaks out in Toa Payoh flat Sport IOC president Kirsty Coventry a 'huge supporter' of Singapore Singapore Man on trial for raping woman who hired him to repair lights in her flat Singapore Doctor who forged certificates for aesthetic procedures gets 4 months' jail Singapore ICA inspector obtained bribes in the form of sex acts from 6 foreign men in exchange for his help The vote, which the opposition said had been marred by procedural violations, was documented online by Honcharenko and at least one other opposition lawmaker. Within minutes of the legislation passing, some of Ukraine's leading online influencers weighed in, stoking anger that sent thousands of protesters onto the streets of Kyiv and other cities that night in rare wartime unrest. "Today they simply shat on everyone's head with this law and set us back 10 years," wrote blogger Ihor Lachenkov to his 1.5 million Telegram subscribers. Protesters expressed anger at the speed with which the measures were passed, and some suspected they were designed to protect top officials from investigation. The anti-graft agencies are also crucial to Ukraine's aim to one day join the European Union. Zelenskiy reversed course after the outcry and pressure from senior European politicians. Lawmakers will consider restoring the independence of the agencies on Thursday. Ukraine's parliament has been in session throughout the war, and until last week's controversy had largely taken on a rubber-stamp function to pass laws critical to the country's wartime survival. NEWSMAKERS OR NEWS PROVIDERS? On Monday, nearly 70 prominent civic and media organisations called on parliament to restore the broadcast from the chamber, saying transparency was "the foundation of trust in parliament". "I think it had a very big significance on people saying 'No, this isn't right. This isn't Europe,'" said Honcharenko, who is the only lawmaker streaming live video, of the impact of his broadcasts on public opinion after last week's vote. Broadcasting from parliament is not technically illegal but instead banned by a non-binding resolution respected by most lawmakers. Sessions are posted online later in the day. A spokesperson for parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters. Calls to resume broadcasting are part of broader criticism among opposition politicians and the public that Zelenskiy's administration has attempted to monopolise the wartime narrative, including through centralised state television. His office denies the charge. "(Opening up parliament) is not convenient for them - that's clear," said lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who delivers live text coverage of sessions on Telegram, often with scathing wit that is accented by emojis. He said some of his colleagues who had voted for the controversial measures would not have done so if they knew voters were watching in real time. Vita Dumanska, head of the pro-transparency group CHESNO said lawmakers' feeds were not proper substitutes for an official transmission because they can curate what voters see. "This is not an objective presentation of facts," said Dumanska, whose organisation led the call by civic groups. "These are facts with a political stance." REUTERS
