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Deccan Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Syrian Kurdish commander in touch with Turkey, open to meeting Erdogan
The public comments represented a significant diplomatic overture by Mazloum Abdi, whose Syrian Democratic Forces fought Turkish troops and Ankara-backed Syrian rebels during Syria's 14-year civil war.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Syrian Kurdish commander in touch with Turkey, open to meeting Erdogan
Commander of Syrian Kurdish-led forces Mazloum Abdi, attends an interview with Reuters in Hasakah, Syria December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman/File Photo BEIRUT - The commander of Kurdish forces that control northeast Syria said on Friday that his group is in direct contact with Turkey and that he would be open to improving ties, including by meeting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. The public comments represented a significant diplomatic overture by Mazloum Abdi, whose Syrian Democratic Forces fought Turkish troops and Ankara-backed Syrian rebels during Syria's 14-year civil war. Turkey has said the main Kurdish group at the core of the SDF is indistinguishable from the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which decided earlier this month to disband after 40 years of conflict with Turkey. Abdi told regional broadcaster Shams TV in an interview aired on Friday that his group was in touch with Turkey, without saying how long the communication channels had been open. "We have direct ties, direct channels of communication with Turkey, as well as through mediators, and we hope that these ties are developed," Abdi said. There was no immediate comment from Turkey. He noted his forces and Turkish fighters "fought long wars against each other" but that a temporary truce had brought a halt to those clashes for the last two months. Abdi said he hoped the truce could become permanent. When asked whether he was planning to meet Erdogan, Abdi said he had no current plans to do so but "I am not opposed... We are not in a state of war with Turkey and in the future, ties could be developed between us. We're open to this." The Al-Monitor news website reported on Friday that Turkey had proposed a meeting between Abdi and a top Turkish official, possibly Turkey's foreign minister or its intelligence chief. In December, Turkey and the SDF agreed on a U.S.-mediated ceasefire after fighting broke out as rebel groups advanced on Damascus and overthrew Bashar al-Assad. Abdi in March signed a deal with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to incorporate the semi-autonomous administration of northeast Syria into the main state institutions based in Damascus. On Thursday, Erdogan accused the SDF of "stalling" implementation of that deal. In the interview, Abdi denied accusations that the SDF was in contact with Israel. "People have accused us of this. In this interview, I am saying publicly that we have no ties with Israel," he said. But he said his group supported good ties with Syria's neighbours. When asked if that included Israel, Abdi responded, "with everyone." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Erdogan's full speech in English: threatens 'anti-Islamism' protestors in North CyprusGreece
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned protestors in North Cyprus during his visit to the region recently. Erdogan's threats came amid a row over Ankara-backed authorities' decision to lift a ban on Islamic headscarves in schools. Demonstrations have rocked the Turkish-occupied region over concerns of eroding secularism. Watch his full speech in English over here.
Rudaw Net
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
CPJ urges Syrian authorities to protect journalists' safety
Also in Syria Syria's National Dialogue Conference to kick off Tuesday Damascus receives over 15,000 barrels of oil daily from Rojava: Official US kills senior Hurras al-Din leader in northwest Syria Al-Hol camp authorities not aiding in Yazidi rescues, says advisor A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The new administration in Damascus must safeguard journalists and refrain from continuing the country's legacy as one of the world's deadliest areas for media workers, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on Monday. 'CPJ urges Syria's new leaders to allow journalists and media workers safe access to information and locations to cover events, without risking being detained or questioned for their work,' the press freedom watchdog told Rudaw. It described the country as 'one of the world's deadliest and riskiest areas for journalists,' with four journalists and media workers killed in 2024. The toppled regime of Bashar al-Assad was responsible for persecuting journalists with 'no accountability' for years, according to CPJ, who noted that 144 journalists were killed in the country between 2011 and 2024. Syria has been a regular feature on CPJ's Global Impunity index, topping the chart in 2023, and has among the world's worst records in punishing murderers of journalists. During the civil war, the country's rebel-held northwest was also considered dangerous for journalists and activists. In December, a Turkish drone strike killed two journalists who worked for an outlet affiliated with the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) while they were covering clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Ankara-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) in northern Syria.
Rudaw Net
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Afrin Kurds welcome Damascus forces with Syrian, Kurdistan flags
Also in Syria Syria blames 'speculative traders' for pound fluctuations, urges sanction relief Federalism, autonomous regions not in new Syria's agenda: Turkish FM Trump expected to decide on future of US troops in Syria soon: Kurdish official US withdrawal from Rojava would be 'mistake': Senator A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Security forces affiliated with the new leadership in Damascus briefly visited Afrin on Thursday and received a warm welcome from locals, including Kurds who raised the Kurdistan flag during the reception. A Kurdish politician stated that despite the decrease in the number of militants and settlers, violations continue in the city located north of Syria. The Syrian interior ministry confirmed on Thursday that its forces arrived in the Kurdish city of Afrin, though the reason for the visit was not specified. The ministry also released photos showing locals welcoming the Syrian forces with both Syrian and Kurdistan flags. Ahmed Hassan, the head of the local council for the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) - a coalition of Kurdish political parties that is considered the main opposition in northeast Syria (Rojava) – also confirmed the visit. The council has been a member of the Ankara-backed Syrian opposition since the beginning of the uprising against toppled president Bashar al-Assad in 2011. 'Around 60 vehicles, carrying nearly 150 people, entered Afrin. They then moved to Mabata, Rajo, Shiye, and Jandaris. They did not stay in Afrin. They held a meeting with the military police in the city… and returned to Aleppo,' Hassan told Rudaw. He cited informed sources as stating that the meeting emphasized Afrin's status as a part of Syria, with security forces affiliated with Damascus tasked with taking over security in the city. Hassan also noted that the Turkey-backed Syrian militants – known as the Syrian National Army (SNA) - remain in Afrin but in fewer numbers. He explained that the recent decision to integrate SNA fighters into the ministry of defense lines has led many to return to their villages, quitting or joining other SNA militants in ongoing attacks on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near Manbij, particularly around the Tishreen Dam. Hassan attributed the decrease in the number of militants to the significant drop in the number of settlers in the city. Hundreds of thousands of Kurds were displaced when Turkey and the SNA controlled Afrin in 2018. International organizations have since recorded numerous human rights violations in the Kurdish majority city. Most of those who fled Afrin amid the offensive are now living in the nearby Shahba region. 'The violations are ongoing,' the ENKS official stated, adding that their severity varies from one place to another. He further blamed militants for the crimes. Responding to Rudaw's Sinan Tuncdemir during a press conference on Thursday, Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson of the secretary-general of the United Nations, stated that the UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen is working 'to ensure that all the displaced populations can return to their homes." People in the Kurdish city of Afrin in northern Syria welcome the arrival of Syria's General Security forces by waving flags of Kurdistan and Syria. — Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) February 6, 2025
