Latest news with #northeastSyria
Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Kurdish delegation heads to Damascus for talks
DAMASCUS: 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. Under the agreement signed by Syria's interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, 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 said 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 criticized a constitutional declaration announced by the new authorities, who took power after ousting Bashar Assad in December, and said the new government failed to reflect the Syrian Arab Republic's diversity. Last month, Syrian Kurdish parties adopted a joint vision of a 'decentralized 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 marginalization 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. In an interview broadcast by Shams TV, based in Irbil 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 emphasized the need for a 'decentralized Syria where all its components live with their full rights and nobody is excluded.' But he accused Syria's new authorities of wanting centralization 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 Daesh insurgency. With support from a US-led international coalition, the Kurdish-led SDF played a key role in Daesh'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
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
US and Regional Countries Team Up to Resolve the Issue of ISIS Prisoners in Syria
Türkiye, the United States, Syria and Iraq have formed a working group to try to resolve the issue of ISIS group prisoners held in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in comments published Thursday. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, control large parts of northeast Syria bordering Türkiye and Iraq and oversee more than a dozen prison camps holding thousands of suspected ISIS fighters and their families. US President Donald Trump asked the Syrian government to 'assume responsibility' for some 9,000 ISIS prisoners when he met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on May 14. Erdogan said a committee had been formed to work out what to do with the prisoners, particularly women and children held at refugee camps such as Al-Hol in northern Syria. His comments on the presidential website were released as he returned from a trip to Hungary. 'Iraq needs to focus on the issue of the camps,' Erdogan said. 'The vast majority of women and children in the Al Hol camp in particular belong to Iraq and Syria. They should do what is necessary for them.' In 2014, ISIS declared a caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria and attracted tens of thousands of supporters from around the world. The extremists were defeated by a US-led coalition in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. Tens of thousands of people linked to the group were taken to al-Hol camp close to the Iraqi border. It is anticipated that the government in Damascus will take control of the prison camps, a move Erdogan said would make it easier to integrate the Kurdish forces in Syria. Kurdish fighters in Syria have ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which on May 12 agreed to dissolve and lay down its weapons following a four-decade insurgency against Türkiye. Meanwhile, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Thursday that Türkiye will start exporting natural gas to provide electricity to Syria. 'We will soon start exporting gas that will reach Aleppo and Homs, with an annual contribution of approximately 2 billion cubic meters, or 1,200 to 1,300 megawatts, to the electricity production here,' he said during a joint news conference in Damascus. Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed Bashir said a gas pipeline coming from Türkiye's Kilis would become operational in June. The heat from burning gas is used to create electricity by spinning a turbine that in turn powers a generator. Bayraktar said the increase in gas exports represented a tripling of the present level. He added that Türkiye was helping Syria to exploit its own oil and gas resources as well as 'discovering new resources, on both land and sea, and using the economic values ... from these in Syria's reconstruction and infrastructure.'
Arab News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
US and regional countries team up to resolve the issue of Daesh prisoners in Syria
ISTANBUL: Turkiye, the United States, Syria and Iraq have formed a working group to try to resolve the issue of Daesh group prisoners held in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in comments published Thursday. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, control large parts of northeast Syria bordering Turkiye and Iraq and oversee more than a dozen prison camps holding thousands of suspected Daesh — also known as Islamic State or IS — fighters and their families. US President Donald Trump asked the Syrian government to 'assume responsibility' for some 9,000 Daesh prisoners when he met Syrian President President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on May 14. Erdogan said a committee had been formed to work out what to do with the prisoners, particularly women and children held at refugee camps such as Al-Hol in northern Syria. His comments on the presidential website were released as he returned from a trip to Hungary. 'Iraq needs to focus on the issue of the camps,' Erdogan said. 'The vast majority of women and children in the Al Hol camp in particular belong to Iraq and Syria. They should do what is necessary for them.' In 2014, Daesh declared a caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria and attracted tens of thousands of supporters from around the world. The extremists were defeated by a US-led coalition in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. Tens of thousands of people linked to the group were taken to Al-Hol camp close to the Iraqi border. It is anticipated that the government in Damascus will take control of the prison camps, a move Erdogan said would make it easier to integrate the Kurdish forces in Syria. Kurdish fighters in Syria have ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which on May 12 agreed to dissolve and lay down its weapons following a four-decade insurgency against Turkiye.
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
US and regional countries team up to resolve the issue of IS prisoners in Syria
ISTANBUL — Turkey, the United States, Syria and Iraq have formed a working group to try to resolve the issue of Islamic State group prisoners held in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in comments published Thursday. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, control large parts of northeast Syria bordering Turkey and Iraq and oversee more than a dozen prison camps holding thousands of suspected IS fighters and their families.
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
US and regional countries team up to resolve the issue of IS prisoners in Syria
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey, the United States, Syria and Iraq have formed a working group to try to resolve the issue of Islamic State group prisoners held in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in comments published Thursday. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, control large parts of northeast Syria bordering Turkey and Iraq and oversee more than a dozen prison camps holding thousands of suspected IS fighters and their families. U.S. President Donald Trump asked the Syrian government to 'assume responsibility' for some 9,000 IS prisoners when he met Syrian President President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on May 14. Erdogan said a committee had been formed to work out what to do with the prisoners, particularly women and children held at refugee camps such as Al-Hol in northern Syria. His comments on the presidential website were released as he returned from a trip to Hungary. 'Iraq needs to focus on the issue of the camps,' Erdogan said. 'The vast majority of women and children in the Al Hol camp in particular belong to Iraq and Syria. They should do what is necessary for them.' In 2014, IS declared a caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria and attracted tens of thousands of supporters from around the world. The extremists were defeated by a U.S.-led coalition in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. Tens of thousands of people linked to the group were taken to al-Hol camp close to the Iraqi border. It is anticipated that the government in Damascus will take control of the prison camps, a move Erdogan said would make it easier to integrate the Kurdish forces in Syria. Kurdish fighters in Syria have ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which on May 12 agreed to dissolve and lay down its weapons following a four-decade insurgency against Turkey. Meanwhile, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Thursday that Turkey will start exporting natural gas to provide electricity to Syria. 'We will soon start exporting gas that will reach Aleppo and Homs, with an annual contribution of approximately 2 billion cubic meters, or 1,200 to 1,300 megawatts, to the electricity production here,' he said during a joint news conference in Damascus. Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed Bashir said a gas pipeline coming from Turkey's Kilis provide would become operational in June. The heat from burning gas is used to create electricity by spinning a turbine that in turn powers a generator. Bayraktar said the increase in gas exports represented a tripling of the present level. He added that Turkey was helping Syria to exploit its own oil and gas resources as well as 'discovering new resources, on both land and sea, and using the economic values … from these in Syria's reconstruction and infrastructure.'
