Syrian Kurds appeal to resolve Rojava's political disputes

A group of Syrian Kurdish journalists and activists in Europe launched an appeal last week demanding the fractured Syrian Kurdish groups to reconcile and leave internal conflicts aside.

QAMISHLO, Syrian Kurdistan (Kurdistan24) – A group of Syrian Kurdish journalists and activists in Europe launched an appeal last week demanding the fractured Syrian Kurdish groups to reconcile and leave internal conflicts aside.

Nearly 270 Syrian Kurdish journalists and activists signed the “Bremen Appeal” launched from Bremen city in Germany.

The journalists and activists called for talks between the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Rojava’s main ruling party, and its opposition, Syria’s Kurdish National Council (ENKS in Kurdish).

Speaking to Kurdistan24, Mehyaddin Iso, a Syrian Kurdish journalist and the campaign founder, said on Monday the call was for the Kurdish parties to unite and put the public’s interest above other considerations.

“Kurdish parties that represent the Syrian Kurds should leave their political disagreements aside and be active with preserving the military victories gained on the ground,” he said.

Additionally, Tamar Hussein Ibrahim, a journalist who signed the appeal, told Kurdistan24 it was clear Syrian Kurds were still hopeful of reconciliation among Kurdish political factions.

“Achieving unity and solidarity is the only way to address regional deals and achieve the national demands of Kurds that will show them to the new US administration as key factors in maintaining US interests in Syria,” he said.     

Last month, the PYD-led council (TEV-DEM) called its opposition, the ENKS, to negotiate and solve the disputes, but the latter rejected the call.

Responding to the Bremen Appeal, the ENKS declined the call claiming the PYD should release all Kurdish politicians and activists.

 

SYRIAN-KURDISH INTERNAL CONFLICT

After the breakout of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Syrian Kurds were fractured into two main councils: TEV-DEM and ENKS.

One council rules the Kurdish-held areas in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) called the Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM in Kurdish).

TEV-DEM, a political coalition led by the PYD and other Kurdish parties, is operating a system of three “autonomous administrations.”

These administrations include Jazira, Kobani, and Afrin in Syria’s north, with independent police forces and schools.

The federal system, declared by TEV-DEM on March 17, would unite these cantons under a single administrative unit.

The other Syrian Kurdish Council, ENKS, was founded in Erbil on Oct. 26, 2011, with the support of the President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani.

ENKS was part of the Turkey-based Syrian Arab opposition and had been in political conflicts with the PYD-led administration of Rojava.

 

KRG MEDIATION FOR SYRIAN KURDS

President Barzani mediated between the PYD-led ruling council of Rojava and the ENKS.

The settlements were meant to reach a common formula to rule Rojava, but neither was applied due to many political rifts.

The first agreement was reached on June 11, 2012, in Erbil and was called the Hawler I Agreement.

The second one was made on Dec. 24, 2013, called the Hawler II Agreement.

The third was signed in Duhok on Oct. 22, 2014, called the Duhok Agreement.

 

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany