Latest news with #SDF
Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
SDF denies Erdogan meeting, signals openness to dialogue
Shafaq News/ The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) denied on Saturday reports that its commander Mazloum Abdi had been offered a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while reaffirming limited indirect contacts and a willingness to engage in talks under the right conditions. The statement rejected claims by regional sources to Al-Monitor that Turkish officials had proposed such a meeting. 'The information is false. Neither our leadership nor any delegation from northern and eastern Syria in meetings with Damascus has received an offer for talks with the Turkish side from any party,' the SDF said. The SDF and Turkiye have long been on opposite sides of Syria's fragmented war and peace efforts. The SDF—primarily made up of Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG)—was Washington's main ground partner in the fight against ISIS. It controls a vast swath of northern and eastern Syria, including areas rich in oil, water, and agricultural resources. Turkiye, meanwhile, sees the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara and its Western allies classify as a terrorist organization. Turkiye fears the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish region on its southern border could embolden separatist sentiments among its own Kurdish population. Abdi confirmed in a televised interview earlier today that direct and indirect communication channels exist between the SDF and Turkiye. He revealed that a temporary ceasefire has been in place between the two sides for about two months—signaling a rare lull in cross-border clashes. While reaffirming that the SDF is not at war with Turkiye, Abdi stated he would be willing to meet Erdogan if such talks 'served regional stability and recognized the rights of Syria's diverse communities.' Since 2016, Turkiye has launched four major incursions into northern Syria, aiming to push back SDF fighters and create a buffer zone. These offensives have displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians and left a patchwork of Turkish-controlled enclaves along the border. The SDF, meanwhile, administers the self-declared Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). It has been engaged in delicate balancing acts—holding talks
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Kurdish delegation heads to Damascus for talks: Kurdish source
A delegation from northeast Syria's semi-autonomous Kurdish administration was headed to Damascus on Saturday for talks on implementing a March deal to integrate Kurdish institutions into the state, a member of the delegation said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Under the agreement signed by Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurds are to integrate their civil and military institutions into the national government. The deal includes all border crossings, oil and gas fields and a regional airport. A member of the Kurdish delegation, requesting anonymity in order to brief the media, told AFP that "a delegation from the autonomous administration is on the way to Damascus to discuss" details of the March deal. Despite the accord, the Kurds have criticised a constitutional declaration announced by the new authorities, who took power after ousting longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, and said the new government failed to reflect Syria's diversity. Last month, Syrian Kurdish parties adopted a joint vision of a "decentralised democratic state", a move rejected by Damascus, which warned against attempts at separatism or federalism by the minority group. The March agreement states that the Kurds are an "essential component of the Syrian state", guaranteeing the "right to citizenship and all... constitutional rights". Syria's Kurds suffered marginalisation and repression under Assad's rule, being deprived of the right to speak their language and celebrate their holidays and, in many cases, of Syrian nationality. Earlier this month, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani warned that delaying the implementation of the deal would "prolong the chaos" in the country. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In an interview broadcast Friday by Shams TV, based in Arbil in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region, SDF chief Abdi said that "we are committed to what was agreed with Damascus and we are currently working on implementing this agreement". He emphasised the need for a "decentralised Syria where all its components live with their full rights and nobody is excluded". But he accused Syria's new authorities of wanting centralisation and of "not being ready for everyone to live in Syria". Kurdish-led forces took control of much of Syria's northeast, including its oil fields, during the country's civil war and the Islamic State group insurgency. With support from a US-led international coalition, the Kurdish-led SDF played a key role in the jihadist group's territorial defeat in Syria in 2019. Abdi said all Syrians should benefit from Syria's oil wealth but said the Kurds wanted "an autonomous administration to govern locally and for the people of the area to manage security and political institutions".
Asharq Al-Awsat
7 hours ago
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syrian Kurdish Commander in Touch with Türkiye, Open to Meeting Erdogan
The commander of Kurdish forces that control northeast Syria said on Friday that his group is in direct contact with Türkiye 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 opposition during Syria's 14-year civil war. Türkiye 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 Türkiye. Abdi told regional broadcaster Shams TV in an interview aired on Friday that his group was in touch with Türkiye, without saying how long the communication channels had been open. "We have direct ties, direct channels of communication with Türkiye, as well as through mediators, and we hope that these ties are developed," Abdi said. There was no immediate comment from Türkiye on Abdi's remarks, according to Reuters. 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 Türkiye and in the future, ties could be developed between us. We're open to this." The Al-Monitor news website reported on Friday that Türkiye had proposed a meeting between Abdi and a top Turkish official, possibly Türkiye's foreign minister or its intelligence chief. A Turkish diplomatic source denied the report, saying "the claims about Türkiye and our country's authorities" in the story were "not true", without elaborating. In December, Türkiye and the SDF agreed on a US-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."
Al Manar
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Manar
Syria: SDF Delegation Visits Damascus as ‘Israel' Strikes Latakia, Tartus
A delegation representing Kurdish forces which control northeast Syria is to meet the new administration, Syrian media reported on Saturday, a day after the Israeli enemy launched strikes targeting Latakia and Trtus in the Arb country's northwest. Kurdish media reported that Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) delegation is en route to Damascus to discuss the future of northern Syria with head of the new administration Ahmad Al-Sharaa's government. #BREAKING: A delegation from northeast Syria (Rojava), formed last month as part of the March 10 agreement between the SDF and Damascus, is en route to the capital for key talks with the interim government regarding the future of Rojava. 📸: Ronahi TV — Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) May 31, 2025 Earlier on Friday, regional broadcaster Shams TV aired an interview with SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi, who said that his group is in direct contact with Turkey and revealed behind-the-scenes negotiations with Damascus. Commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, General Mazloum Abdî, on Al-Shams TV channel -We are open to dialogue with HTS within the framework of political decentralization. -We have formed a joint delegation from the Kurdish National Council and the Autonomous… — Rojava Network (@RojavaNetwork) May 30, 2025 Abdi in March signed a deal with Al-Sharaa to incorporate the semi-autonomous administration of northeast Syria into the main state institutions based in Damascus. Israeli strikes On the other hand, the Israeli occupation army carried out airstrikes in Latakia and Tartus in northwestern Syria late on Friday, targeting alleged 'storage facilities' containing 'missiles,' resulting in one fatality and property damage. ⚡️Israeli Army: 'We targeted surface-to-sea missiles in Latakia that threaten our freedom of movement in the Mediterranean.' — War Monitor (@WarMonitors) May 30, 2025 One civilian was martyred in the strikes that targeted an area between the villages of Zama and Burj Islam in southern Latakia, while another targeted the outskirts of Tartus port, causing property damage. The Israeli enemy has attacked sites in Syria multiple times since the ouster of former President Bashar Al-Assad in December. Occupation forces have taken large swaths of Syria's south including the Syrian controlled Golan Heights which also includes the strategic Mount Hermon.
Arab News
12 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
Syrian Kurdish commander in touch with Turkiye, open to meeting Erdogan
BEIRUT: The commander of Kurdish forces that control northeast Syria said on Friday that his group is in direct contact with Turkiye 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. Turkiye 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 Turkiye. Abdi told regional broadcaster Shams TV in an interview aired on Friday that his group was in touch with Turkiye, without saying how long the communication channels had been open. 'We have direct ties, direct channels of communication with Turkiye, as well as through mediators, and we hope that these ties are developed,' Abdi said. There was no immediate comment from Turkiye on Abdi's remarks. 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 Turkiye and in the future, ties could be developed between us. We're open to this.' The Al-Monitor news website reported on Friday that Turkiye had proposed a meeting between Abdi and a top Turkish official, possibly Turkiye's foreign minister or its intelligence chief. A Turkish diplomatic source denied the report, saying 'the claims about Turkiye and our country's authorities' in the story were 'not true,' without elaborating. In December, Turkiye and the SDF agreed on a US-mediated ceasefire after fighting broke out as rebel groups advanced on Damascus and overthrew Bashar 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 neighbors. When asked if that included Israel, Abdi responded, 'with everyone.'
