"Basis of ceasefire depends on guaranteeing Kurdish rights"

Youssef Zadeh, member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and former Egyptian Consul in New York, stated that the success of a ceasefire in Syria hinges on guaranteeing the rights of all Syrian components, especially the Kurdish one.

In an interview with ANHA agency, Zadeh said: “The Egyptian position is consistent with a stable foreign policy based on supporting political solutions and rejecting the logic of military resolution. Egypt’s welcome of the ceasefire reflects its concern for Syria’s stability and territorial integrity, and underscores its role as a responsible Arab actor seeking to de-escalate conflicts and create conditions conducive to a comprehensive settlement.”

Regarding representation of the Kurdish component, he explained: “Real translation of commitments must come through clear constitutional texts and binding political guarantees, not through general statements. The Kurdish component needs full legal recognition of its political and cultural rights, along with genuine participation in state institutions, in order to dispel historically accumulated fears of marginalization.”

On preventing the reduction of the Kurdish issue to a purely security dimension, Zadeh noted: “Egypt can contribute politically by supporting a comprehensive approach within the Arab framework, emphasizing that the Kurdish issue is not a security file but one of rights and citizenship. However, it must be acknowledged that decisive influence in this file ultimately remains in the hands of active international powers.”

He also stressed the role of political inclusion of Kurds in strengthening Syria’s unity, saying: “Yes, fair political inclusion strengthens the unity of the state rather than threatening it. Exclusion is what opens the door to divisions, whereas national partnership based on equal rights represents a safety valve for any multi-component state.”

Regarding the challenges facing the sustainability of the ceasefire, he added: “The challenges are multiple and complex, foremost among them the absence of binding international guarantees, the conflicting interests of regional and international powers involved in the Syrian file, and the continued reliance by some parties on a purely security-based approach to the crisis. Without a transition to a comprehensive political process based on partnership and equal rights, the ceasefire will remain fragile and vulnerable to collapse at any moment.”

Zadeh concluded by saying: “Arab and Egyptian welcome of the ceasefire constitutes an important political opportunity, but its impact will remain limited unless it is accompanied by constitutional guarantees and genuine partnership that integrates all Syrian components foremost among them the Kurdish component within an inclusive national project.”

ANHA