SDF’s Abdi, Leader Barzani discuss Kurdish unity
Shafaq News/ Syrian Democratic Forces(SDF) Commander Mazloum Abdi met with Masoud Barzani, Leader of the KurdistanDemocratic Party (KDP), in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, todiscuss the evolving situation in Syria and the need for Kurdish unity.
On X, Abdi described the meeting on Fridayas a “source of happiness” and highlighted the topics discussed. “We talkedabout the process of change Syria is undergoing and stressed the importance ofa unified Kurdish stance,” Abdi wrote.
He added that dialogue with Damascus mustproceed peacefully to safeguard Kurdish rights.
Yesterday, a senior KDPofficial, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said thetalks focused on unifying the Kurdish stance in Syria and exploring steps todistance the SDF from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a militant groupdesignated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye.
The official said Barzanisuggested that severing ties with the PKK could pave the way for broaderinternational backing, leveraging KDP’s connections with both the United Statesand Turkiye.
Barzani also emphasized theneed for a unified Kurdish front in Syria to strengthen their negotiatingposition with Syria's new de facto government.
According to the official,Barzani highlighted Iraq’s Kurdish political achievements, includingconstitutional recognition, as a potential model for Kurds in Syria.
The SDF, which has governednortheast Syria for the past decade, faces military pressure from theTurkiye-backed Syrian National Army. Turkiye views the SDF as a PKKoffshoot.
Meanwhile, the KDP in Iraq,which maintains friendly ties with Turkiye, has had strained relations with theSDF and other PKK-aligned groups.
