President Barzani, Syria’s Sharaa discuss Kurdish rights, regional stability

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - President Masoud Barzani and Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa held a telephone conversation late Tuesday to discuss regional developments and ways to strengthen stability and security, according to statements issued by the Syrian Presidency.

In a statement, the Syrian Presidency said Sharaa stressed guarantees for Kurdish rights in Syria, noting that “all Kurdish rights are protected, including national, political, and civil rights.” The call also addressed recent political and security developments across the region.

The statement added that President Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Region’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), expressed support for the recent agreement reached between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The two sides agreed to continue coordination and joint consultation “to ensure peace and security in the region, and to address disputes in a manner that serves the interests of all.”

The call came just hours after the Syrian government announced that it had reached what it described as “a mutual understanding” with the SDF on a number of issues related to the future of northeast Syria’s (Rojava) Kurdish-majority Hasaka province.

Syrian state media quoted the presidency as saying the understanding covers security, administrative arrangements, and a framework for the peaceful integration of SDF-held areas, including the cities of Hasaka and Qamishli.

According to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the agreement grants the SDF a four-day consultation period to develop “a detailed plan for the practical mechanism of integrating the areas.”

The presidency said Tuesday that if an agreement is finalized, Syrian government forces “will not enter the centers of [the predominantly Kurdish cities of] Hasaka and Qamishli and will remain on their outskirts,” while Syrian military units would also “not enter Kurdish villages,” leaving security to local forces from the area. Discussions on the timeline and details of the integration process are expected to continue.

The understanding comes amid heightened tensions following a mid-January military operation launched by the Syrian Arab Army and allied armed groups against SDF-held areas, beginning east of Aleppo and later expanding toward Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Hasaka.

Sharaa said on Sunday that he had signed a 14-point agreement with SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi to “immediately” halt the violence and integrate SDF-administered territories into state institutions, including transferring responsibility for ISIS detainees to Damascus, while talks on the full implementation of the agreement remain ongoing.