Kurdistan
KDP leader Masoud Barzani (right) and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi (left) meeting in Erbil on January 16, 2025. Photo: Submitted
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The footage of the historic meeting between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloun Abdi in Erbil dominated social media late Thursday, with veteran Kurdish politicians congratulating Kurds for the development.
“Congratulations. This is the demand of millions of people from [Greater] Kurdistan.. I hope that this becomes permanent and brings goodness,” Osman Baydemir, a veteran Kurdish politician, said on X.
Leyla Zana, another veteran politician, echoed Baydemir’s call, hoping that this will have a positive impact on the region.
Abdi’s latest visit to Erbil comes as Syria navigates a transitional phase following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8.
During the meeting with Abdi, Barzani said Syrian Kurds should be united to guarantee their rights.
“During this meeting, the situation in Syria and the latest security and political developments in Syria were discussed, as well as the general framework of Kurdish parties' engagement with Syria's new situation and how to adopt a unified position among Syrian Kurdish parties,” Masoud Barzani’s office said in a statement on Thursday.
Myles Caggins, former spokesperson for the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), shared the photo of the meeting on X, deeming it a “significant meeting.”
Walid Phares, a one-time advisor to former President Donald Trump, said on X that “Kurdish transnational cooperation is good for peace and prosperity.”
Omer Ocalan, a Kurdish lawmaker in Turkey, shared the photo of the meeting and said in a post on X that “Kurds are the most democratic people in this geography. Acting together will contribute to this geography.”
The visit came after Barzani sent a representative to Rojava to meet with Abdi and the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) - an umbrella group of opposition parties in the Kurdish enclave.
KDP’s Masoud Barzani has played a key role in efforts to unite Kurdish ruling and opposition parties in Rojava.
The ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) and ENKS signed a historic agreement, mediated by Masoud Barzani, in Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province in 2015 to end tensions and share power in Rojava but the deal was never implemented. Each side blames the other for the collapse of the agreement.
There are ongoing efforts to resume the stalled talks.
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