KNCS: 'Kurdistan Region Reaffirms Support for Political Unity in Western Kurdistan'

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Faisal Yusuf Yusuf, the spokesperson of the Kurdish National Council in Syria (KNCS), said on Friday that the Kurdistan Region continues to stand firmly behind efforts to strengthen political unity among Kurdish forces in Northern Syria (Western Kurdistan), describing the latest developments at the Middle East Peace and Security Forum (MEPS 2025) in Duhok as “highly encouraging.”

Speaking to Kurdistan24 on November 21, Yusuf emphasized that the KNCS delegation’s invitation to MEPS — and the warm reception they received from President Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani — carried a clear political message.
He stated:
“The invitation to MEPS and the warm welcome from President Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani show that the Kurdistan Region remains committed to supporting the unity of Kurdish political forces in Rojava.”

Yusuf added that the presence of the Rojava delegation at MEPS and the high-level reception “brought joy to the entire Kurdish nation,” reflecting a growing expectation among Syrian Kurds for renewed dialogue and political reconciliation.

The KNCS remarks came just two days after a key address by Mazloum Abdi, General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), at MEPS 2025. Speaking on November 19, Abdi thanked Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the conference organizers for what he described as a warm and respectful welcome.

“We were received with great warmth,” Abdi said, noting that the outcomes and commitments of MEPS 2025 could help resolve regional crises and advance long-term peace.
He underscored the importance of dialogue, decentralization, and recognition of Kurdish political rights as essential elements in any sustainable settlement for Syria and the wider region.

Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of the Democratic Autonomous Administration’s foreign relations department, also addressed the forum’s second day. She argued that the root causes of Syria’s prolonged conflict lie in the unresolved Kurdish question, a centralized authoritarian system, and the denial of the rights of Syria’s diverse communities.

“A monolingual and monochromatic administration based on rejecting the other cannot bring peace or stability,” she said.

MEPS 2025 opened on Tuesday, November 18, at the American University of Kurdistan in Duhok under the theme “Drone-Driven Chaos: A New Middle East.”
The opening ceremony was attended by a wide range of senior figures, including:

– President Masoud Barzani
– Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani
– President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani
– Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani
– Chief Justice Faiq Zidan

The forum, now in its fifth edition since its launch in 2019, brought together politicians, diplomats, researchers, and academics from the Middle East, Europe, and North America to discuss security challenges and political transformations over two days of sessions.

The convergence of KNCS, SDF leadership, and officials from the Democratic Autonomous Administration at MEPS 2025 — all under the auspices of the Kurdistan Region’s leadership — has been widely interpreted as a rare and meaningful moment.

For Faysal Yusuf, the visible engagement of President Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani is a sign of continued commitment from the Kurdistan Region to support Kurdish cohesion across western Kurdistan.

“The scenes we saw at the forum brought joy to Kurds everywhere,” Yusuf told Kurdistan24, expressing hope that MEPS 2025 could pave the way for renewed dialogue and political stabilization among Kurdish actors in Syria.