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Syria
Meeting between Rojava's ruling PYD and opposition ENKS in Qamishli, Rojava on March 18, 2025. Photo: SDF media.
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The northeast Syria’s (Rojava) ruling and opposition parties on Tuesday met for the first time in years to resume stalled talks and finalize a unity agreement, which aims to unify the Kurdish position in Syria and form a joint committee to represent Kurds in talks with Damascus.
Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said in a statement he shared on X that the ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the opposition Kurdish National Council (KNC/ENKS) held a meeting in his presence to “determine a joint roadmap and [discuss] Kurdish unity in the current phase. The viewpoints of both sides were a source of joy.”
He added that the move “was the first step in a series of meetings to [be held with aims of] achieving Kurdish unity. For the establishment of a diverse and democratic Syria, where the rights of all components are guaranteed, we are insistent on making this dialogue successful.”
SDF is the de facto army of Rojava, with Abdi acting as a key mediator of the intra-Kurdish talks.
The ENKS said the meeting was held in a "positive atmosphere," adding that both sides agreed to continue their meetings until they finalize their agreement in the near future.
Sulaimani Oso, a member of ENKS leadership who attended the Tuesday meeting, told Rudaw English that “we will meet again after Newroz celebrations” to form a joint committee to represent all Kurds in talks with the new authority in Damascus.
Abdi has already met with Syria’a interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa twice since the new Syrian leader ousted Bashar al-Assad’s regime in early December.
Abdi and Sharaa signed an agreement on March 10 to integrate the SDF and Rojava’s civil institutions into the new administration in Damascus. The ENKS said it was not consulted in the process.
Unity talks between the ENKS and PYD have been stalled for years but fresh efforts by American and French officials are being exerted with aims of establishing a unified Kurdish stance in the new Syria.
PYD and ENKS signed a historic agreement, mediated by the Erbil-based Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Masoud Barzani, in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province in 2015 to end tensions and share power in Rojava. However, the deal was never implemented and each side blamed the other for its failure. Both sides have engaged in war of words, accusing each other of treason.
The fall of Assad and the increasing threats on the Kurdish enclave in Syria have seemingly paved the way for the initiation of a new round of talks.
KDP’s Barzani, who has strong ties with the ENKS and whose opinion is highly respected by the umbrella group, held his first public meeting with Abdi in Erbil on January 16 to discuss Kurdish unity in Syria. Days later, Abdi met with ENKS representatives striking an agreement to dispatch a joint Kurdish delegation to initiate talks with Damascus.
Barzani and Abdi also spoke on the phone on Wednesday.
Both Kurdish leaders emphasized Kurdish unity in the political process in Syria, according to a statement from Barzani’s office.
Updated at 7:14 pm
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