Rojava-Damascus talks progress, but Kurdish rights still unresolved: Delegation member

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Talks between the delegation representing northeast Syria (Rojava) and the interim government in Damascus are progressing, but key constitutional issues concerning Kurdish rights and political representation remain unresolved, a delegation member said on Tuesday.

The Rojava delegation traveled to Damascus on Saturday and met the following day with a committee appointed by Syria’s new leadership.

The Sunday meeting aimed to finalize the implementation of a March 10 agreement signed between Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The agreement outlines the integration of "all civil and military institutions in northeast Syria [Rojava] under the administration of the Syrian state."

Sanharib Barsom, a member of the Rojava delegation and co-chair of the Syriac Union Party in Syria, told Rudaw that the talks are particularly focused on implementing provisions of the agreement related to Kurdish rights and political inclusion.

“The first clause in the [March] agreement ensures political representation for constituents in both the new administration in Damascus and the Syrian government. This must be activated,” he stressed.

He further explained that institutional integration would be handled through "negotiation committees between counterpart institutions" from Rojava and Damascus, acting as the “link” between the two sides.

Barsom further clarified that the institutions referred to are those currently governed by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES).

The talks between the Rojava delegation and the Damascus committee are taking place amid growing concerns among Kurdish and other minority communities over Syria’s increasing centralization and the incorporation of Islamic jurisprudence in the country's transitional constitutional framework.

In mid-March, Syria’s interim President Sharaa signed a 53-article constitutional declaration that enshrines Islamic law as a legal foundation, requires the president to be Muslim, and sets a five-year transitional period. The document also preserves the name of the country as the “Syrian Arab Republic.”

The declaration sets a five-year transitional period and was drafted by a seven-member committee appointed in February. That committee, however, faced criticism - particularly from Kurdish groups - for excluding ethnic and religious minorities.

Barsom acknowledged that addressing constitutional concerns is beyond the current mandate of both the Rojava delegation and the Damascus-appointed committee.

“We have submitted a request to be represented in the constitutional committee,” he said, “but that decision lies solely with President Sharaa.”

Despite the limitations mentioned by Barsom, the Rojava delegation stated on Sunday that its meeting with the Damascus committee was held in a “positive and constructive atmosphere.”

It noted that the session is part of ongoing efforts to facilitate “the formation of specialized subcommittees” to follow up on the implementation of the Abdi-Sharaa agreement, and “mechanisms to facilitate the return of displaced persons,” including from Rojava.

Discussions also included the reactivation of the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods dossier in northern Aleppo, aiming to resolve the matter “in a way that supports stability and civil peace.”

In early April, the SDF and the Damascus administration signed a separate agreement - reportedly in light of American representation - outlining joint security oversight for Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in Aleppo and providing for continued prisoner exchanges.

As part of that arrangement, the SDF and Damascus conducted a large-scale prisoner swap on Monday in northern Aleppo, involving around 500 detainees from both sides. This follows an earlier exchange in April, during which the SDF secured the release of 146 captives while the Syrian government recovered 97 detainees.

These developments also coincide with internal Kurdish political efforts.

Kurdish ruling and opposition parties in Rojava are currently in talks to form a joint committee to present a unified list of demands to Damascus, with decentralization as a central demand.

The initiative follows a landmark intra-Kurdish conference held last month in Qamishli, which Damascus swiftly condemned as a separatist maneuver. However, SDF chief Abdi stressed during the event that the goal was to unify and strengthen Syria, not divide it.