28-04-2025
Damascus censures SDF ‘calls for federalism' following Kurdish unity conference
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Damascus leadership on Sunday censured the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) 'calls for federalism,' saying they contradict the landmark agreement inked by Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi in March.
The Abdi-Sharaa agreement 'marked a positive step towards de-escalation' and 'a comprehensive national solution,' read a statement from the Syrian Presidency, adding, 'However the latest maneuvers and statements by the SDF leadership, which call for federalism and entrench a separate reality on the ground, openly contradict the substance of the agreement and threaten the unity of the country and the integrity of its territory.'
The presidency stressed that the agreement was 'implemented away from any exclusionary projects,' and rejected 'any attempts to impose a divisive reality or establish entities under the title of federalism and self-administration, without broad national consensus.'
The Abdi-Sharaa agreement, signed on March 10, urged integrating 'all civil and military institutions in northeast Syria [Rojava] under the administration of the Syrian state, including border crossings, the [Qamishli International] Airport, and oil and gas fields.'
The deal also affirmed that 'the Kurdish community is indigenous to the Syrian state, which ensures its right to citizenship and all of its constitutional rights.'
The Syrian Presidency on Sunday expressed 'deep concerns' over what it said were 'practices' which signaled dangerous inclinations to [prompt] demographic change in some regions, threatening Syria's social fabric and undermining prospects for a comprehensive national solution.' It warned against 'disrupting the works of Syrian institutions in regions controlled by SDF.'
The Syrian leadership finally stressed that the SDF 'cannot control the decision in northeast Syria [Rojava]' where 'Arabs, Kurds, Christians and others coexist,' and urged the Kurdish-led force to 'truly uphold' the Sharaa-Abdi agreement and 'prioritize the higher national interest.'
Following a swift offensive in early December, the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), then headed by Sharaa, spearheaded a coalition of opposition groups that toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Sharaa was in late January named interim president when he vowed to form an 'inclusive transitional government that would reflect Syria's diversity.' He has, however, faced domestic and international criticism that he has marginalized minority communities, including the Kurds.
The Syrian presidency's Sunday statement notably came a day after the first pan-Kurdish unity conference was held in Rojava on Saturday, gathering over 400 Kurds from Syria, the Kurdistan Region and Turkey.
In the conference's closing declaration, Kurdish political groups in Syria agreed on a joint vision for a decentralized, democratic state that guarantees Kurdish rights and calls for a national dialogue to reshape the country's future.
'Based on historical responsibility and in response to the requirements of the current stage, a joint Kurdish political vision has been formulated that expresses a collective will and its project for a just solution to the Kurdish issue in Syria as a decentralized democratic state,' read the statement.
The vision safeguards Kurdish ethnic rights, upholds international human rights principles and treaties, and promotes women's rights and participation across political, social, and military spheres.
'It contributes to building a new Syria that accommodates all its people without exclusion or marginalization of any of its components, away from unilateral domination in thought and practice,' the statement read.
The conference's final statement recommended its vision be adopted as a foundation for national dialogue among Kurdish political groups, the new administration in Damascus, and all Syrian forces. It said the goal is to create an inclusive Syria that respects the rights of all communities and strengthens the country's role as a stabilizing force in the region.
At the conference, it was also agreed to form a joint Kurdish delegation to promote and implement this vision through dialogue with relevant parties.
For his part, SDF chief Abdi told conferees on Saturday that the goal of the conference is to strengthen Syria, not divide it.
'My message for all components of Syria and the Damascus government is that this conference is not, as some claim, to divide. Conversely, it is for the unity of Syria. We reiterate that we support the territorial integrity of Syria, and we state that the unity of Kurds is the unity of Syria, and the strengthening of Kurds means the strengthening of Syria,' he said.
