Latest news with #KurdishNationalCouncil
Shafaq News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Seeking recognition: Syrian Kurds ready for Damascus talks
Shafaq News/ On Friday, the Kurdish National Council (KNC) in Syria confirmed its readiness to engage in direct talks with the Syrian government. Faissal Youssef, KNC spokesperson, told Shafaq News that Kurds have long endured marginalization under successive Syrian governments and seek recognition of their identity and rights. 'This is not a new issue—our demands go back to the establishment of the modern Syrian state." Youssef stressed that the KNC remains committed to unity and political resolution. 'Our delegation represents the broad majority of Kurdish political and social actors, and is fully prepared to travel to Damascus once the appropriate opportunity arises.' Negotiations are expected to focus on securing national-level recognition of the Kurds as Syria's second-largest ethnic group and ensuring their representation in all state institutions. A separate delegation from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria is also reportedly set to meet with government officials to discuss administrative and military arrangements in the northeast, due to conflicts between the two parties. The talks follow a March 10 agreement between Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander Mazloum Abdi, outlining the integration of all military and civil bodies— including border crossings and oil fields—into the state framework by the end of 2025, and rejecting any calls for division. It also commits both parties to a nationwide ceasefire and affirms equal representation in political and public institutions, based on merit rather than ethnicity or religion. 'The Kurdish movement has reached consensus on the vision for Syria's future and the framework for dialogue,' Youssef said. 'The international support for the Kurdish Unity Conference, including from the US and France, reflects recognition of our legitimacy.' The renewed dialogue efforts come as Western powers, including the European Union and the United States, reengage diplomatically in Syria to "stabilize areas outside regime control and prevent further fragmentation."
Shafaq News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Syria's KNC rejects government criticism: Division UNACCEPTABLE
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, the Kurdish National Council (KNC) dismissed the Syrian government's criticism of a recent political initiative, affirming that the joint Kurdish vision supports unity, not separation. Suleiman Oso, a member of the Council's Presidential Body, told Shafaq News the strategy adopted at the Kurdish Unity Conference in Qamishli is 'a collective expression of Kurdish aspirations and does not advocate for federalism or autonomy without national consensus.' 'Any attempt to impose a de facto division or create separate entities without a comprehensive agreement is unacceptable,' he said, responding to a Syrian Presidency statement that opposed any efforts to establish federalism or self-administration. The Kurdish official urged the Syrian interim government to avoid repeating 'past mistakes' and adopt new approaches that prevent division and destruction, stressing that Kurdish unity efforts are not directed against other Syrian communities or neighboring countries. 'Syria's strength comes from the strength of its components.' 'Our vision calls for a decentralized political system that ensures pluralism and constitutionally guarantees the Kurdish people's rights, in line with international conventions,' he explained. 'Lasting stability in Syria requires respect for diversity, genuine dialogue, and inclusive negotiation based on the will of all Syrians.' The April 26 conference brought together Kurdish political parties, independent figures, and delegations from the Kurdistan Region and Turkiye. It adopted a unified Kurdish platform as a basis for dialogue among Kurdish actors, as well as with Damascus and other Syrian forces. During the event, Hameed Darbandi, head of the Syrian dossier at Iraq's Kurdistan Region Presidency, read a letter from Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, expressing full support for any effort to bridge Kurdish political divides in Syria.
Rudaw Net
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
President Barzani praises Rojava's Kurdish conference
Also in Syria Kurds unite behind vision for decentralized Syria SDF chief says division of Syria not goal of pan-Kurdish conference Rojava's Kurdish conference begins US welcomes intra-Kurdish dialogue in Rojava A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani praised officials in northeast Syria (Rojava) for holding the first pan-Kurdish conference that took place on Saturday, saying he hopes it will strengthen Kurdish unity and solidarity. 'Praise and appreciation to Mr. Mazloum Abdi, ENKS [Kurdish National Council], and all the brothers and sisters who worked on conducting the Kurdish Unity and Solidarity Conference in Syria. I congratulate everyone on the success of the conference, which is a source of great joy and has pleased the Kurdish people everywhere,' a statement from the Presidency said. The conference brought together more than 400 Kurds from Syria, Kurdistan Region and Turkey at a time when Kurds are navigating their future in the new Syria. It resulted in an agreement between Kurdish political groups in Syria on a joint vision for a decentralized, democratic state that guarantees Kurdish rights and called for a national dialogue to reshape the country's future. 'I hope it will lead to strengthening Kurdish unity and solidarity, which is the only way to secure Kurdish rights in Syria,' Barzani said. Kurds, like other minorities in Syria, are concerned about the centralization of power and reliance on Islamic jurisprudence in the transitional constitution that has been adopted by the interim government in Damascus. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed to form an 'inclusive transitional government that would reflect Syria's diversity,' but has faced domestic and international criticism that he has marginalized minority communities.
Shafaq News
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
President Barzani hails Kurdish solidarity effort in Syria
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, the Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani praised the organizers of the Kurdish Unity and Solidarity Conference in Syria, calling it a key step toward strengthening Kurdish rights and solidarity. In a statement, Barzani congratulated Mazloum Abdi, the Kurdish National Council (ENKS), and other contributors, expressing hope that the initiative would reinforce Kurdish unity and protect Kurdish rights in Syria. The conference opened in Qamishli, Syria, with more than 400 participants from Kurdish parties in Syria, Iraq's Kurdistan Region, and Turkiye, as well as independent political and religious figures. Participants announced the formation of a joint Kurdish delegation to implement the agreed vision through dialogue with Damascus and other Syrian political groups.
Int'l Business Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Syria's Kurds Demand 'Democratic Decentralised' Syria
Syria's Kurdish parties on Saturday adopted a joint political vision calling for a "decentralised democratic" state in Syria with guarantees for Kurdish rights. Their statement came at the end of a conference held in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, where a top Kurdish official disputed suggestions that the meeting sought division following the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. Syria's new Islamist-led rulers seek to establish government control over the entire country since they ousted Assad in December after more than 13 years of civil war. Marginalised and repressed during decades of Assad family rule, Kurdish-led forces took advantage of the civil war to establish de facto autonomy in the north and northeast. Syria's new government vision puts into question the status of that authority. Mohamad Ismail, a high-ranking official in the Kurdish National Council, announced at the close of the conference the "joint Kurdish political vision, expressing a collective will and a realistic project for a fair solution to the Kurdish issue in Syria, as a decentralised democratic state". The statement, closing the "Unity of the Kurdish Position and Ranks" conference, said the vision "ensures constitutional rights for the Kurdish people, adheres to international human rights treaties, preserves women's freedom and rights". The statement also called for the vision to be "a basis for national dialogue" between Kurdish forces and the new administration in Damascus. More than 400 people, including representatives from major Kurdish parties in Syria, Turkey and Iraq's Kurdistan region took part in the conference, according to the Kurdish Anha news agency. Among the delegates were the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) as well as groups opposed to it. Last month, Syria's presidency announced an agreement to integrate the institutions of the autonomous Kurdish administration into the national government. But that agreement has not prevented the Kurdish authorities from criticising Syria's new authorities. The Kurdish-led administration rejected a new national government formed last month, saying it does not reflect the country's diversity. They levelled a similar criticism against last month's constitutional declaration that concentrated executive power in the hands of interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa during a transition period. Mazloum Abdi, head of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish administration's de facto army, said at the conference that "my message to all Syrian constituents and the Damascus government is that the conference does not aim, as some say, at division". It was being held, he added, "for the unity of Syria". The US-backed SDF played a key role in the fight against the Islamic State group, which was defeated in its last Syrian territorial stronghold in 2019. "We support all Syrian components receiving their rights in the constitution to be able to build a decentralised democratic Syria that embraces everyone," Abdi said. In a post shared on social media platform X, AANES official Bedran Ciya Kurd said the conference marked a "historic moment" that will allow Kurds to "play a leading role in the radical democratic transformations in Syria". "This blessed step should be a source of hope, optimism, and relief for all Syrians for their unity and strength, not a reason for reservation or fear," he added. Most of the country's oil and gas fields are in areas administered by the Kurdish authorities. These may prove a crucial resource for Syria's new authorities as they seek to rebuild the impoverished, war-devastated country.
