ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – A conglomeration of Kurdish factions came together in Syria’s Qamishli on Saturday to hold a conference with the aim of unifying the position of Kurdish parties in Syria and presenting a united front in negotiations with the Damascus administration.

The Kurdish Unity Conference, which included Kurdish representatives from the Kurdistan Region, Turkey, and Syria, in addition to representatives from the US, discussed a preapproved declaration consisting of 26 articles, asserting that Syria must be “decentralized” and urging “the unification of Kurdish regions as an integrated political and administrative unit within the framework of a federal Syria.” 

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander Mazloum Abdi, who participated in the conference, reassured observers that the Kurdish Unity Conference “is not for the partition, but the exact opposite; it is for the unity of Syria” in a speech addressing the attendees.

Abdi earlier on Tuesday said on X that "Kurdish unity is a national necessity for resolving the issue of the Kurdish people in Syria,” in a post that referred to the conference.

The Kurds’ declaration calls for recognizing Kurdish as an official language in Syria alongside Arabic, as well as the reflection of all Syrian components in the “name of the state, its flag, and its national anthem," currently officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic.

Former Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani, who has previously acted as mediator in uniting the different Kurdish factions in Syria, addressed the conference in a letter read by his representative to the conference, Hamid Darbandi.

President Barzani reaffirmed his backing for “a new democratic, colorful, and equal Syria, in which the rights of all components of the Syrian nation are guaranteed,” while voicing his support for establishing “a constitution that guarantees those principles and prioritizes stability, peace, coexistence, and forgiveness."

He highlighted the role of “unifying the Kurds and the establishment of a shared base” in contributing to a "fair and permanent solution” to the Kurdish question in Syria.

Kurdish authorities have repeatedly criticized Damascus for the lack of inclusion of ethnic and religious minority groups in the transitional process.

In late February, Syria held a National Dialogue Conference aimed at obtaining suggestions for governance in the transitional period from all of the country’s components that later formed the basis of a constitutional declaration in March to oversee the country’s affairs in the transitional period. The Kurds slammed both initiatives for the inadequate representation of Syrian minorities.

The conference is still underway at the time of writing this report.