Syria’s Kurds to push for decentralized government in talks: official

QAMISHLO,— Kurdish leaders in northeastern Syria plan to push for a decentralized form of governance in upcoming talks with Damascus, a senior official told AFP on Monday.

According to Badran Ciya Kurd, a senior official in the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration in Syrian Kurdistan, the delegation is expected to meet soon with the new Syrian authorities to follow up on a political agreement reached in March. The deal outlines terms for integrating Kurdish-run institutions into the Syrian state framework.

“Our delegation will be calling for a democratic, decentralized structure,” Ciya Kurd said. “Syria’s diverse makeup requires a system that acknowledges the uniqueness of each region.”

The Kurdish administration, which took hold of large areas in Syria’s northeast—including oil-producing zones—during the civil war that began in 2011, remains a key political and military player.

Backed by U.S.-led coalition forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were instrumental in defeating the Islamic State group’s territorial control by 2019.

Though a deal was signed with the transitional Islamist administration following the fall of the Assad regime in December, Kurdish leaders rejected a temporary charter released in March by Syria’s newly established, Islamist-influenced leadership.

The charter, they said, failed to reflect Syria’s ethnic and political diversity and concentrated too much power in the central government.

“This approach of central authority without genuine power-sharing slows down the negotiations and complicates progress,” said Ciya Kurd.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani recently stated that the “unity of the Syrian homeland is not open to negotiation,” warning that failure to finalize the agreement with the Kurds would extend instability in the country.

The March agreement calls for integrating Kurdish civil and military structures, including control over border crossings, airports, and oil and gas facilities, into Damascus’s jurisdiction.

On Sunday, the Syrian presidency announced that interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, had met with U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack the day before.

Al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has a past tied to several Islamist extremist groups. He was previously affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS, and later founded the al-Nusra Front, which initially operated as an al-Qaeda branch before rebranding as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

A statement from the presidency said both parties backed a full agreement with the SDF that preserves Syrian sovereignty and includes incorporating Kurdish forces into national institutions.

Ciya Kurd added that the U.S., which recently lifted sanctions on Syria, is playing an active role in supporting and facilitating the negotiations.

The Kurdish-led administration in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) operates under a secular, egalitarian system with a focus on environmental sustainability and gender equality.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)