US Envoy to Sponsor Political Agreement between Kurdish Parties

US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey (Reuters)
US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey (Reuters)
TT
20

US Envoy to Sponsor Political Agreement between Kurdish Parties

US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey (Reuters)
US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey (Reuters)

The US Special Representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, arrived Sunday in al-Hasakah and held meetings with leaders of the Kurdish parties and the leader of the Arab-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi.

Kurdish sources said that Jeffrey would sponsor the signing of a political agreement and the establishment of the supreme Kurdish authority between the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD) and parties of the Kurdish National Council (KNC).

Jeffrey's visit to the east of the Euphrates comes amid US military reinforcements after repeated clashes with Russian forces in the area.

A new batch of Bradley-type combat vehicles, advanced radar systems, and 100 US soldiers were deployed in northeastern Syria. In addition, the coalition increased its flights over the region to provide air support for US and coalition forces in their battles against ISIS sleeper cells.

The sources revealed that Jeffrey conveyed to the leaders of the Kurdish parties the support of the US administration, hoping to reach a political agreement between the two parties of the Kurdish movement in Syria.

Jeffrey also indicated that the administration is working to mobilize the forces of the Syrian opposition, to support the US position in holding Damascus and its ally Moscow responsible for failing the political process, continuing the military operations, as well as obstructing any progress in the work of the Constitutional Committee and the implementation of the UN resolution 2254.

The US State Department envoy, Zahra Bailey, recently asked the negotiating parties in the Kurdish talks to discuss the remaining outstanding issues in the third round of the talks.

The sources reported that these issues include: the Kurdish council’s request to change the education plan in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and coordinating with UN agencies and UNICEF to verify certificates and previous educational stages.

The issue of the return of the Rojava Peshmerga forces and how it could be deployed in the region will also be discussed during the next round of talks.

Bailey requested that the issue of Kurdish interference and the relationship between the Democratic Union ruling party and the Kurdistan Workers Party in Turkey be addressed in future rounds.

The issue of the council’s detainees, the absentees, recruitment, and SDF deployment in Raqqa, Deir Ezzor, and the rest of the Arab cities remained for subsequent rounds.



Syria and Neighbors Urge Israel to Stop Bombings

Israeli Merkava tanks in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria near the village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 08 May 2025. (EPA)
Israeli Merkava tanks in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria near the village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 08 May 2025. (EPA)
TT
20

Syria and Neighbors Urge Israel to Stop Bombings

Israeli Merkava tanks in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria near the village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 08 May 2025. (EPA)
Israeli Merkava tanks in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria near the village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 08 May 2025. (EPA)

The foreign ministers of Syria, Türkiye and Jordan, meeting Monday in Ankara, called on Israel to cease attacks on Syria and to withdraw troops from the country.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on Syria since longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December, often targeting military sites and killing dozens of people.

Israeli officials have also described Syria's new authorities as extremists and claimed to defend the country's Druze minority with a recent spate of attacks.

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a press conference with his Jordanian and Syrian counterparts that "Israel's expansionism poses a significant threat to the security, stability and future of Syria."

"This must come to an end. And we are on the same page about this. Syria needs to be supported to prevent terrorist organizations from settling in this region," Fidan added, noting that Syria shares a 900-kilometer (560-mile) border with Türkiye.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani told the joint press conference that "our borders are constantly violated by Israeli attacks".

The Israeli strikes are "calculated escalations aimed at destabilizing Syria and dragging the region into a new cycle of conflict", Shaibani said, decrying "systematic violations of international law and explicit provocations".

He called on the international community to put Israel under "increased pressure" to halt the bombings.

Jordan's top diplomat, Ayman Safadi, said attacks on Syrian soil "will not bring security to Israel and will bring nothing to Syria except ruin and destruction".