Amid escalating tensions and persistent threats from Turkish-affiliated mercenaries in northeast Syria, efforts to unify Kurdish political voices have been reignited. A French delegation met with Syrian Kurdish political parties this week, aiming to restart long-stalled intra-Kurdish negotiations, two well-informed sources told North Press.
The delegation reportedly held discussions on Wednesday 12 December, with representatives of the Kurdish National Unity Parties (PYNK), a coalition aligned with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Mohammad Mousa, Secretary-General of the Kurdish leftist PYNK Party, confirmed that the meeting happened, but refrained from providing details. “The discussions took place with a focus on fostering Kurdish unity, but I cannot elaborate further at this stage,” he said.
Meanwhile, an anonymous source involved in the talks revealed that the French delegation conveyed the Kurdish National Council’s (KNC, also known by the acronym ENKS) willingness to resume dialogue.
An unprecedented readiness for dialogue
Nawaf Rashid, representative of the Syrian Kurdistan Union Party (PYKS) and a member of the KNC, reportedly expressed an unusual readiness to engage with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) under certain conditions.
Rashid outlined some key prerequisites for dialogue, stating, “Mazloum Kobani [Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)] must represent the Kurds in Rojava, not in Manbij (Minbîc) or Raqqa.”
“He needs to clarify his position to Turkey—he is neither affiliated with the PKK nor does he harbour hostility towards Ankara,” Rashid continued.
The KNC has historically been allied with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Iraqi Kurdistan. The KDP has been strengthening its alliances with Turkey this year, trading military cooperation against the PKK in northern Iraq for lucrative agreements with Turkey on trade and infrastructure.
Rashid also highlighted Turkey’s looming threats of military aggression against the city of Kobani (Kobanê): “This threat cannot be ignored. Kurdish factions must confront it collectively and decisively,” he stressed.
Turkish state attempts to stop cooperation before it starts
Turkey and the KDP are trying to stop the emergence of intra-Kurdish dialogue before it really starts. Reports have surfaced regarding the involvement of Turkish intelligence (MIT) and the KDP in efforts to dissuade the KNC from cooperating with AANES.
Kurdish media reported that a three-hour conference took place on 14 December, attended by officials from the MIT, KDP, and members of the KNC in Erbil (Hewlêr). The meeting reportedly sought to hinder the KNC’s involvement in Syria’s political process, particularly in cooperation with the AANES.
On 18 December, in the aftermath of the conference, Sa’adi Ahmed Pire, spokesperson for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), cautioned that any unilateral attempt by the KDP to deploy forces into northeast Syria, without coordination with the SDF, could spark a civil war among the Kurdish groups.
In 2021, the SDF’s Mazloum Abdi emphasised that to secure a brighter future for the people of Syria, starting with the Kurds, “national interests must take precedence”, and urged colleagues in the PYNK and KNC to act responsibly and engage in dialogue to resolve the ongoing conflicts.
