Latest news with #pan-Kurdish
Rudaw Net
5 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
ENKS urges Damascus to hold ‘serious' talks with Rojava delegation
A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The opposition Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Wednesday called on the Syrian transitional government to enter into 'serious and responsible' dialogue with a joint Kurdish delegation representing both ruling and opposition parties in Rojava. 'The Council called on the transitional administration in Damascus to enter into serious and responsible dialogue with the joint Kurdish delegation,' read a statement from ENKS after holding a meeting in Qamishli, adding that 'comprehensive national dialogue remains the only path to ensure genuine partnership among all Syrian components.' The joint delegation was formed after a landmark conference in Qamishli in April that united rival Kurdish parties to form a unified negotiating front on Rojava's future. It includes members from the ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the ENKS. Damascus condemned the pan-Kurdish conference at the time, viewing it as a separatist initiative. However, Mazloum Abdi, chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - Rojava's de facto army - stated that the goal of the conference was to strengthen Syria, not divide it. The ENKS said they 'addressed the campaign of accusations attempting to link the Kurdish people with partition or separation agendas, considering these claims an extension of the exclusion mentality and false accusations that prevailed under the former regime.' "We have informed them, but so far they [Damascus] have not responded. They must also extend their hand for negotiations and dialogue,' ENKS spokesperson Faysal Yousef told Rudaw on Wednesday. During its Wednesday meeting, ENKS 'expressed its dissatisfaction with the exclusion and unilateral approach that dominated preparations for national dialogue conferences and government formation, and the method of forming the People's Assembly [Syrian parliament].' In mid-March, interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa approved a 53-article constitutional declaration granting him sweeping powers, including the authority to appoint one-third of the legislature and all judges of the constitutional court - the only body capable of holding him accountable. Critics have warned that the interim constitution could cement authoritarianism and further marginalize minority communities, including Kurds, Druze, Christians, and Alawites. In late July, the head of the Higher Committee for People's Assembly Elections, Mohammad Taha al-Ahmed, said that the number of parliamentary seats would increase from 150 to 210, with 70 appointed by presidential decree. Referring to the recent violence in the southern Druze-majority Suwayda province, where over 1,400 people have been killed, and dozens killed in an Islamic State (ISIS) suicide bombing at Mar Elias Church in Damascus in June, ENKS 'strongly condemned these acts, holding the transitional administration responsible for failing to take necessary measures to prevent their occurrence.' On Sunday, two people were killed in renewed clashes in Suwayda after more than two weeks of a fragile ceasefire. The violence first erupted on July 13 between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes and escalated with Syrian government involvement and Israeli airstrikes in support of the Druze before a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on July 18. According to the UN, approximately 175,000 people have been displaced due to the fighting. Dilbixwin Dara contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Damascus censures SDF ‘calls for federalism' following Kurdish unity conference
Also in Syria Yazidi men freed from ISIS captivity, reunite with families after years of separation President Barzani praises Rojava's Kurdish conference Kurds unite behind vision for decentralized Syria SDF chief says division of Syria not goal of pan-Kurdish conference A+ A- 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.
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.
Rudaw Net
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Kurds unite behind vision for decentralized Syria
Also in Syria President Barzani praises Rojava's Kurdish conference 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 - Kurdish political groups in Syria have 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, according to the final statement issued by a conference held on Saturday in northeast Syria (Rojava). '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 Kurdish Unity and Consensus in Western Kurdistan Conference, gathering over 400 Kurds from Syria, Kurdistan Region and Turkey, took place as Kurds are navigating their future in the new Syria. 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. Kurds in Rojava, 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. An advisor to the Kurdish-led administration in Rojava issued a warning if Kurdish rights are ignored. 'Failure to resolve the Kurdish issue in Syria will lead to instability, and rights, democracy, and justice will be rendered meaningless in Syria's future. Rather, oppression and tyranny will be the defining characteristic of that future,' Bedran Chiya wrote on X on Saturday.
Jordan Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Syria's Kurds hold conference on vision for country's future
Mazloum Abdi (C), commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces , and Hamid Darbandi (R), envoy of Iraqi Kurdish politician Masoud Barzani (leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party), attend the pan-Kurdish "Unity and Consensus" conference in Qamishli in northeastern Syria on April 26, 2025 (AFP photo) QAMISHLI, Syria — Syria's Kurdish parties held a conference on Saturday aimed at presenting a unified vision for the country's future following the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, a high-ranking participant told AFP. Eldar Khalil, an official in the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, said that since Kurds were a major component of the country, they "must present a solution and a project proposal for the future of Syria". On the question of federalism, Khalil said it was "one of the proposals on the table". More than 400 people, including representatives from major Kurdish parties in Syria, Iraq and Turkey, took part in the "Unity of the Kurdish Position and Ranks" conference in Qamishli, according to the Kurdish Anha news agency. The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, which has controlled large swathes of Syria's northeast since the early years of the country's civil war, was represented at the gathering, as were groups opposed to it. Last month, the Kurdish administration struck a deal to integrate into state institutions, with the new Islamist-led leadership seeking to unify the country following the December overthrow of Assad. The agreement, however, has not prevented the Kurdish administration from criticising the new authorities, including over the formation of a new government and a recent constitutional declaration that concentrated executive power in the hands of interim President Ahmad Al Sharaa during the transition period. Mazloum Abdi, head of the administration's armed wing, the Syrian Democratic Forces, 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". Abdi included a call for "a new decentralised constitution that includes all components" of society. "We support all Syrian components receiving their rights in the constitution to be able to build a decentralized democratic Syria that embraces everyone," he said. Khalil said that the participants will also discuss ways to address the role of the Kurds in the new Syria.
