President Barzani met with the leadership of SDF and the ANKS and called on them to unite and take a single position
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Kurdish National Council in Syria (ANKS) met with President Barzani, Kurdistan Democratic Party leader, in the past week. “The presence of President Barzani will strengthen the Kurdish cause in any part of Kurdistan,” said a Kurdish politician.
The meeting between President Barzani and Mazlum Abdi, Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, on January 16, 2025, received widespread attention. On January 21, 2025, President Barzani met with the Presidency of the Kurdish National Council in Syria, and the visit of the Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and the political and security in Syria was also discussed.
In the meeting, President Barzani stressed the unity, coordination, and joint efforts of the Kurdish parties in Syria.
A number of political figures from North Kurdistan, East Kurdistan, South Kurdistan, West Kurdistan, and foreign countries thanked President Barzani for bringing the two parties closer together and hailed this step as the fulfillment of the Kurdish people’s wishes.
President Barzani has made several important initiatives and meetings between the parties in Rojava, particularly regarding the situation there. He has implemented two key initiatives and three agreements between the parties in Rojava including (Erbil 1, Erbil 2 and Duhok 1). President Barzani has repeatedly urged the parties in Rojava to unite and avoid allowing conflicts to dominate.
“Although I am from a political party outside the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and my political direction is clear, the role of President Barzani cannot be ignored in peace process in Turkey and unify the Kurdish parties in Rojava,” Dilshad Rashid Mala, veteran Kurdish politician from Slemani, told The Kurdish Globe.
“Unfortunately, the parties in Rojava did not understand the danger of the situation until they saw the reality of their fears with their own eyes. They asked President Barzani to take the initiative. Why? Because President Barzani has strong global relations in the region, at the level of neighboring countries and internationally,” he added.
Mala also added that President Barzani is a “respected personality with his own principles, and he will not back down from the principle of Kurdishness. Rojava can benefit from this.” He, furthermore, said: “President Barzani will engage in farsighted politics, not reacting to short-term issues. He sees the reality of the region and acts with foresight. This is very important for the Kurds in the region, especially for those in Rojava. The owners of weapons there should understand that their geographical borders are close to the KDP and the main gateway to Rojava. The KDP has power and influence in this region, so any good relationship with the KDP is beneficial for them.”
“There is the Kurdish National Council in Syria (ANKS) outside the PYD forces. They are an influential and popular force. They have military force, so we cannot move without them,” he said. The ANKS has received Barzani’s message, Mala said, and expressed its readiness to unite the Kurdish discourse. “President Barzani enjoys large popularity. In 1996, one of the greatest moments in Rojava occurred when he passed through Qamishli, where hundreds of thousands of people gathered, not allowing his convoy to escape,” he added.
“The Syrian people have a long-standing relationship with President Massoud Barzani. All Syrians have special respect and appreciation for him, especially for the role he played as a guide and father in caring for Syrian refugees. Even now, people outside Rojava praise President Barzani’s efforts for sheltering a large number of Syrian refugees,” Zedo Ba’adri, Kurdish politician, told The Kurdish Globe.
He also added: “The meeting between President Barzani and Mazlum Abdi was very important, as it silenced the dissonant voice that wanted to create discord among Kurds, and now all forces in Rojava face a major challenge – either they return to President Barzani, or they must answer the question of what they have for Rojava. The Kurds are a key part of the equation in Syria, in the events and future of Syria, they are a main component in the events and have their own cause, which President Barzani has always supported the national cause, especially in Syria, and most parties return to President Barzani for consultation and advice. Any message of support and affirmation from him will surely have a significant outcome, because he looks at events with foresight. What President Barzani emphasizes greatly regarding the Syrian issue is dialogue, that all Syrian components can reach an agreement through dialogue.”
“What the Syrian people need most now is a diplomatic channel and lobbying, which the Kurdistan Region can play an important role in at this stage, especially President Barzani. In the issue of a solution for Rojava, he can help and support them. Rojava’s parties are more supportive of President Barzani’s efforts because he has played a positive and wise role in the past and, like the Kurdistan Region, has opened its doors to Syrian refugees,” he added.
“This situation in Syria is both an opportunity and a threat. It is an opportunity if the components know how to take advantage of it, understand what they need in Syria, and do not act with an external mindset, but rather engage in dialogue within themselves,” he said. “The Kurds have a 100-year history to reach this stage, so there must be a better solution in this regard.”
In addition, Osman Baydemir, a Kurdish politician from Northern Kurdistan, wrote on X social network: “Bless you, this was the wish of millions of Kurds, we hope it continues and opens the door to goodness.”
Also, Leyla Zana, a former Kurdish parliamentarian in Turkey, similarly expressed her happiness for the meeting and thanked President Barzani. She posted a message on X social network, writing “Thank you, congratulations and may it continue, coexistence of people is our foundation, you have made the hopes of Middle Eastern peoples great.”
“The Kurds will be strong and invincible with unity because they are the closest and bravest allies for a free world,” French writer and thinker Bernard-Henri Lévy wrote on X.
The Kurdish Globe