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Syria
The ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) of northeast Syria (Rojava) meeting with the opposition Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) in Qamishli on March 18, 2025. Photo: SDF media
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The announcement of an agreement between northeast Syria’s (Rojava) ruling and opposition parties on unifying Kurdish demands in Damascus has been postponed due to technical issues, a senior official told Rudaw English on Thursday. The deal is expected to be publicized in early April.
Rojava’s ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the opposition Kurdish National Council (KNC/ENKS) recently met and agreed on a list of Kurdish demands to present to the new authority in Damascus through a joint delegation.
The agreement was initially set to be announced this week but has been delayed.
“The announcement of the agreement could take place after Eid al-Fitr due to logistical issues, but both sides remain committed to unifying their ranks,” Sulaiman Oso, a senior ENKS leader, told Rudaw English on Wednesday, with the Muslim holiday taking place next week.
He emphasized that there are no tensions between the two sides regarding the deal.
American and French representatives have mediated unity talks between the PYD and ENKS. However, only the US representative was present at their most recent meeting, which was also attended by Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The French representative was absent due to being on leave but is expected to attend the upcoming meeting, ENKS leader Mohammed Ismail told Rudaw on Friday.
He confirmed that the agreement includes a demand for federalism, putting it at odds with the interim constitution adopted by the transitional government in Damascus, which has been criticized for cementing authoritarian rule. Minority communities in Syria have called for the constitution to be rewritten.
The PYD and ENKS have long been political rivals despite previous mediation efforts.
Rojava’s ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the opposition Kurdish National Council (KNC/ENKS) recently met and agreed on a list of Kurdish demands to present to the new authority in Damascus through a joint delegation.
The agreement was initially set to be announced this week but has been delayed.
“The announcement of the agreement could take place after Eid al-Fitr due to logistical issues, but both sides remain committed to unifying their ranks,” Sulaiman Oso, a senior ENKS leader, told Rudaw English on Wednesday, with the Muslim holiday taking place next week.
He emphasized that there are no tensions between the two sides regarding the deal.
American and French representatives have mediated unity talks between the PYD and ENKS. However, only the US representative was present at their most recent meeting, which was also attended by Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The French representative was absent due to being on leave but is expected to attend the upcoming meeting, ENKS leader Mohammed Ismail told Rudaw on Friday.
He confirmed that the agreement includes a demand for federalism, putting it at odds with the interim constitution adopted by the transitional government in Damascus, which has been criticized for cementing authoritarian rule. Minority communities in Syria have called for the constitution to be rewritten.
The PYD and ENKS have long been political rivals despite previous mediation efforts.
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