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Shafaq News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
SDF–Damascus talks proceed despite pressure allegations
Shafaq News – Damascus Negotiations between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian government are continuing with US and French support, a senior Kurdish official told Shafaq News on Thursday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington and Paris are working to arrange a meeting between the two sides despite Damascus' refusal to attend talks scheduled for this month, insisting instead that they be moved to the capital following a recent conference in Hasakah province. The source stressed that 'foreign powers are not pressuring the SDF to merge under a specific framework.' According to the official, US and European mediation aims to avert military escalation and secure a negotiated settlement under international sponsorship, while accusing Turkiye of pressuring the transitional government to escalate against the SDF and boycott planned talks in Paris. The source also revealed that last Monday, Syrian Democratic Council Co-Chair for Foreign Relations Ilham Ahmed met Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in Damascus to address obstacles delaying implementation of the March 10 agreement signed by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi in Paris. Separately, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Thursday that the SDF had 'failed' to comply with the terms of its merger deal with the Syrian army. It reiterated support for Syria's political unity and territorial integrity, pledging training, planning, and advisory assistance to Damascus under an agreement signed on August 13.
Shafaq News
08-08-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Unity Conference in Northeast Syria calls for decentralized, inclusive governance
Shafaq News – Hasakah (Updated at 15:46) The Unity of Stance Conference for the communities of northern and eastern Syria convened on Friday at the Cultural Center in Al-Hasakah under the slogan 'Together for Diversity that Strengthens Our Unity, and Partnership that Builds Our Future.' More than 400 participants took part, including representatives from the Kurdish-run Autonomous Administration, political, military, and security institutions, and figures from various ethnic and religious communities such as Kurds, Arabs, Syriac-Assyrians, Turkmen, Armenians, and Circassians. Ilham Ahmed, head of the Autonomous Administration's Foreign Relations Department, said political pluralism is vital for building a modern, inclusive Syria. She warned that unilateral approaches would deepen the crisis and stressed the need for full representation of the region's communities in any constitutional or negotiation process, with guarantees for women's rights and active political participation. In a recorded address, Ghazal Ghazal, head of the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and the diaspora, called for a civil, secular, pluralistic, and decentralized state. He rejected the idea of a religious government, urging unity against 'extremist' discourse, an end to violence, and the launch of a national reconciliation process to restore trust and turn differences into a source of strength. Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, spiritual leader of the Druze community, voiced support for the conference's goals, describing unity among Syria's communities as a necessary response to years of war and affirming that diversity is a national asset. According to Shafaq News Correspondent, the participants discussed the agreement signed in March between Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to integrate all civilian and military institutions of the Autonomous Administration into the Syrian state. They also referred to the recent Kurdish 'Unity of Stance' conference, affirming both as steps toward a broader national consensus." In its final statement, the conference described recent acts of violence in the coastal region, Suwayda, and against Christian communities as 'crimes against humanity,' calling for an impartial and transparent investigation to identify those responsible. It urged the drafting of a democratic constitution that enshrines diversity and establishes a decentralized state guaranteeing genuine participation for all components, and called for a broad Syrian national conference to bring together all national and democratic forces to forge a shared national identity.
