ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday held a phone call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, reportedly focusing on recent developments in Rojava (northeast Syria) and the management of the area.

The two sides “discussed current developments during their telephone conversation,” according to Turkish state media, citing foreign ministry sources.

The New Region understands that the phone call follows Erbil’s diplomatic efforts that contributed to the recent ceasefire and integration agreement between the Kurdish-led forces in Rojava and the Syrian government.

The agreement came following a series of brutal attacks by the Syrian Arab Army on areas held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), resulting in the seizure of large swathes of territory liberated by the Kurdish-led army during the Islamic State’s (ISIS) reign and the killing of hundreds.

The Kurdistan Region’s authorities assumed a central role in the negotiating process through engaging in talks with Rojava and Damascus leaders, as well as international mediators, with numerous meetings taking place in the Region’s capital of Erbil.

According to information obtained by The New Region, Barzani and Fidan also discussed the management of Rojava, which has been a source of contention, while the degree of autonomy held by Kurdish authorities and the autonomous Rojava administration remains officially unspecified.

SDF chief Mazloum Abdi has asserted that Kurdish self-rule will be preserved, telling reporters on Sunday that the Kurdish-led Rojava administration informed Damascus that “we want autonomy in the Kurdish areas, no matter under what label.” 

 Meanwhile, Syrian media have emphasized the integration of Rojava institutions into the central government in line with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's vision of a united central Syria.

The phone call follows a meeting between Barzani and Abdi on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, where they stressed the need for continued dialogue in Syria.

In a speech on Sunday, Barzani stressed that Kurdish rights must be integrated into the Syrian constitution, as a safeguard for their future.