Kurdistan
KDP President Masoud Barzani (C) in a meeting with the leadership of the the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) in Erbil on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Photo: Barzani HQ
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani on Wednesday received a delegation from the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) in northeast Syria (Rojava), discussing a series of pressing issues, including the need for maintaining Kurdish unity amid tensions between Damascus and Rojava authorities.
"Opinions were exchanged about the region's political situation and latest developments in Syria," read a statement by Barzani Headquarters.
In the meeting, President Barzani stressed the need for Kurdish unity, and urged the ENKS, which is a coalition of opposition parties, to strengthen "the bases of social peace and co-existence with Arabs and other components in Syria."
ENKS has close ties with the KDP.
Barzani has repeatedly called on Syrian Kurds to join forces to defend their rights and put aside their differences, through several meetings he held with the opposition ENKS and ruling Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - the US-backed force which is the de facto army of the Kurdish-held Rojava.
On March 10, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syrian Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed a landmark deal aiming to integrate “all civil and military institutions” in Rojava - including the SDF - under the command of the Syrian state, and to enforce a “ceasefire across all Syrian territory.”
While the US-backed accord has been partially implemented, a key sticking point lies in differing interpretations of the term “integration.” The Kurdish-led forces seek to join the Syrian military as a unified bloc, while Damascus has insisted on individually absorbing and assimilating Kurdish fighters into the national army.
Earlier this month, Abdi led a high-profile delegation to hold talks with Sharaa in Damascus. The talks followed deadly clashes that erupted in Kurdish areas of Aleppo between the Kurdish-led Internal Security Forces (Asayish) - an affiliate of the SDF - and armed militants reportedly linked to Damascus.
Najeeb Ghadban, an advisor to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani told Rudaw earlier this week in an interview that Damascus is open to the Kurdish push for decentralization, an initiative made by the ENKS.
"From what I understand, the Kurdish side wants the highest possible level of decentralization - potentially federalism. That idea was initially proposed by the Kurdish National Council, which was our ally during our opposition [to the Assad regime]. Decentralization covers a broad spectrum, from limited powers to full confederation," Ghadban said.
In early February, the ENKS announced its withdrawal from a coalition of Syrian revolutionary forces, saying the revolution was "over," following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December.
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