ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Leaders in the Kurdistan Region continue to advocate with their international friends on behalf of Kurds across the border in northern Syria. Masrour Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, raised the situation of Kurds in Rojava in a meeting on Wednesday with US Army Maj. Gen. Patrick Roberson, a commander in the global coalition against ISIS. They discussed “mechanisms necessary to stop further suffering and displacement of the Syrian peoples, including Kurds,” according to statement from Barzani’s office. Their meeting came as the US has begun to withdraw from northern Syria, starting with moving some equipment out of the country, under orders from US President Donald Trump. It is unclear when the final departure will take place, but American officials have said they will ensure their Kurdish allies are protected from Turkish threats. Masoud Barzani, the influential former president of the Kurdistan Region, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and father of Masrour, was recently asked by the National Council of Syrian Kurdistan (ENKS) to advocate on the world stage on their behalf. Masrour Barzani also discussed disputes among Kurdish parties in northern Syria in his meeting with the American general. He said it is important for “for Kurdish political forces in Syria to work in an inclusive and cooperative spirit,” and said he was ready to help the Syrian parties reach a political settlement. At the start of the conflict in Syria, the dominant Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the opposition ENKS enjoyed better relations. Those soured as PYD gained power and ideological disagreements grew between the two. ENKS is composed of a number of parties in Rojava, or Syrian Kurdistan. They are close to KDP. ENKS said their dispute with the PYD impeded their work in Syria. Recently, the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Group), the PKK's umbrella political group, issued a statement urging unity among Kurds that paved the road for parties to return to Rojava and work freely. With the threat of a Turkish offensive against Rojava, Masoud Barzani has several times publicly expressed his worry over the fate of the Kurdish population there. He also raised it when meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week.
