KNCS: “Syria Remains a Centralized Authority—No Real Change Has Yet Been Made”

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The spokesperson of the Kurdish National Council in Syria (KNCS), Faisal Youssef, reaffirmed that Syria continues to operate as a centralized authority, despite the fall of the Assad regime and ongoing political transitions. Speaking exclusively to Kurdistan24, Youssef emphasized that the Kurdish people’s rights remain unimplemented and that the new interim authorities in Damascus have so far failed to deliver genuine structural change.

Youssef’s remarks came shortly after President Masoud Barzani received KNCS delegation in Pirmam on Wednesday, a meeting that underscored Barzani’s enduring commitment to Kurdish unity, peaceful coexistence, and national reconciliation across Syrian society.

During his interview with Kurdistan24, Youssef praised President Barzani’s longstanding leadership in fostering Kurdish unity, recalling that Barzani “has always prioritized and followed up on Kurdish unity, before and after the fall of the Assad regime.”

He added that Barzani continues to monitor the developments in Syria and the condition of its Kurdish population closely. “President Barzani emphasized that this unity should be strengthened for the future, and he said, ‘Even if I don’t have the opportunity to come and see, I will always follow up.’ He knows what is happening in Syria,” Youssef said.

Youssef recounted that President Barzani’s efforts date back to the earliest stages of Syria’s conflict, when he worked to establish a united Kurdish front following the downfall of the Assad regime. “He expressed hope from the beginning that the rights of the Kurdish people in Syria, as well as the rights of other components, would be implemented,” Youssef said. “It was not good for him that, until now, no solution has been found for the Kurdish issue.”

He also recalled that President Barzani helped bring together various Kurdish parties and figures—among them Mazloum Abdi and Dr. Hamid—to participate in a unity conference that resulted in a joint Kurdish vision and the creation of a Kurdish delegation to represent the collective political stance of Syrian Kurds.

Reflecting on Syria’s century-long history, Youssef described the Kurdish people as “the rightful owners of their historic land,” whose identity has been systematically denied. “When the Syrian state was established more than 100 years ago, the Kurds were already living on their ancestral land, but their rights have not been implemented,” he said.

He condemned the policies of the Ba’ath Party and the Assad family, describing their rule as nearly seven decades of “chauvinistic oppression” against the Kurdish people. “Our people, even before, played a major role in confronting tyranny and the Assad regime,” he said.

Despite the changes since the revolution, Youssef noted, “This regime has not solved the Kurdish issue until today. Even in the so-called new Syria, nothing has been decided. They still call it the ‘Syrian Arab Republic.’ But Syria is not just Arab—it includes Kurds, Syriacs, Assyrians, Turkmen, and others. The name, the anthem, the constitution—none of these have reflected Syria’s real diversity.”

He further lamented that even in the dialogue conferences that were recently held, “the Kurdish National Council and Kurdish political movements were not invited,” calling this exclusion “proof that the government maintains the same centralized mentality.”

Youssef criticized the interim administration for offering mere assurances without tangible progress. “The Interim President says we will give guarantees, but after ten months, nothing has appeared on the ground,” he said. “However, we will continue our democratic and peaceful struggle. The Kurdish component is strong—with its unity, and with the support of His Excellency President Barzani, we are strong today and we will continue.”

He stressed that the Kurdish National Council’s decisions are rooted in the collective will of all Syrian Kurds. “President Barzani has always listened to our opinion as a political movement and as a council,” Youssef noted. “Our decision today represents all the Kurdish people in Syria. After the unity conference that His Excellency supervised, we declared that Syria must not remain centralized, because centralization destroyed Syria and left nothing in it.”

He argued that Syria’s future should be based on federalism and inclusion, recognizing the country’s mosaic of ethnic and religious identities. “Syria has many nations—Arabs, Kurds, Syriacs, Assyrians, Turkmen, Christians, and Muslims,” he said. “President Barzani emphasized that we must strengthen democratic relations with all these components and even with the legitimate government in Damascus to reach a solution for the Kurdish issue.”

Asked whether the KNCS has decided to visit Damascus at the request of Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Youssef said the Council is ready for dialogue but is still waiting for a response. “We are a major force within the Syrian opposition. We have a vision for all of Syria, not just the Kurdish issue,” he said. “At one point, they mentioned names for talks, but until today they have not responded. We are ready, but they have not taken a step.”

He explained that the KNCS had submitted a formal request four months ago to send a joint Kurdish delegation to Damascus, but “no response has come from their side.”

Youssef confirmed that the Council maintains a clear roadmap for how the Kurdish issue should be addressed within Syria’s political framework. “We want to be partners in the new Syria, in the administration, in building the state. It is no longer just a question of opposition and authority,” he said. “We must be partners in all regions—the Kurdish, the coastal, the central, and the southern. We are a genuine component of Syria.”

Despite the promises of reform, Youssef asserted that “until this moment today, the authority in Syria remains centralized.” He explained that major decisions are still being made from one side alone, whether by the government, through dialogue conferences, or in the elections that the regime calls democratic. “There is nothing new in them,” he said.

He also expressed skepticism toward Western promises of supporting democratic change in Syria. “They see themselves as strong, but they are weak,” he said. “They give promises that the people will be partners in the Syrian state, but nothing of that has been implemented until now.”

The KNCS spokesperson underlined that his party’s vision goes beyond ethnic politics. “We have always worked with our Arab brothers and other communities. Even before the formation of the Peace and Freedom Front, Syriac-Assyrians and Arabs from Jazeera, Deir ez-Zor, and Raqqa were with us,” he said. “We will make these relations stronger than before.”

He emphasized that the Kurds were the ones who preserved Syria’s unity by standing against both ISIS and the Assad regime. “If anyone protected the unity of Syria, it was the Kurds,” Youssef stated. “They resisted terrorism and authoritarianism so that Syria would remain whole.”

Looking ahead, Youssef said the KNCS remains committed to rebuilding Syria as a democratic state that guarantees equal rights for all citizens. “We will continue our political and peaceful struggle,” he said. “We are delivering our message to Europe, America, and the neighboring countries—that without justice for the Kurdish people and a fair political system, instability will continue in Syria and the region.”

He concluded by reaffirming the Council’s readiness for dialogue: “We will not go to Damascus just to visit. Damascus is ours as much as it is theirs. We demand the implementation of the Kurdish people’s rights and those of all components in the new Syria. That is our goal—and it will remain our mission.”