No written letter from Ocalan to Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria: Rojava official

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A senior official from the northeastern Syrian administration, known as Rojava, said on Thursday that they had not received any written letter from Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), regarding integration talks between Damascus and Kurdish authorities or ongoing peace efforts in Turkey.

"We have not received any written letter from Mr. Ocalan. However, talks between the Turkish parliament and Mr. Ocalan reflect the current situation in northeastern Syria. The message is clear: solutions need to be pursued through dialogue channels. When there is dialogue and political understanding, solutions to military questions can also emerge," Bassam Ishak, a Washington-based presidential council member of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) - the political wing of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - told Rudaw on Thursday.

On November 24, a delegation from the Turkish parliament visited Ocalan as part of efforts to establish a legal framework for ongoing peace talks between the PKK and the Turkish state.

The delegation included three lawmakers from the main supporters of the peace process: the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), its far-right ally the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).

Following the meeting, the Turkish parliament announced that the delegation discussed with Ocalan the PKK's dissolution and disarmament, as well as the implementation of an agreement between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Earlier this year, on March 10, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi signed a landmark agreement with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The deal aims to bring all civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria, including the SDF, under state control and to establish a nationwide ceasefire.

Tensions remain over Turkey’s stance toward Rojava’s de facto army, the SDF. Ankara considers the force’s backbone, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), as an offshoot of the PKK. The peace process in Turkey is closely linked to developments in Rojava.

The senior SDC official emphasized the need for direct talks between the Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria and Ankara.

"We understand that Turkey has security concerns, and every state has the right to defend its domestic peace," Ishak said, adding, "We have occasionally held talks with Turkey through mediators. It is very normal for us to hold direct talks as well. We are neighbors and share borders."

Ilham Ahmed, Co-Chair of North and East Syria's Foreign Relations Office, who has consistently advocated for peaceful relations with neighboring countries, including Turkey, has been invited to Istanbul by the pro-Kurdish DEM Party to attend a peace conference organized by them.

Ishak believes Ahmed is likely to attend the conference. "She is likely to attend. No final response has come yet from Turkey regarding her visit," he said.