Warning against disunity: It has historically weakened Kurdish cause

On Monday, a delegation from the Kurdish National Council in Syria (ENKS) visited the capital, Damascus, where it met with the head of the Interim Government, Ahmad al-Shar’a. The visit followed a previous meeting between the same delegation and the Foreign Minister of the same government. The timing of the visit, coming at a politically sensitive moment, drew close attention, particularly within Kurdish political circles.

The decision of the ENKS delegation to travel to Damascus independently sparked widespread questions among the Kurdish public, especially given the delicate conditions in Rojava. This came despite the resolutions adopted at the “Conference on the Unity of the Kurdish Ranks and Position in Rojava Kurdistan,” held in Qamishlo on 26 April 2025, with the participation of various Kurdish parties, forces, and figures, including the Kurdish National Council itself. The conference agreed on forming a joint Kurdish delegation to engage in dialogue with the Interim Government. At a time when Kurds across all parts of Kurdistan and in the diaspora have emphasized unity of ranks and position, this unilateral visit raised questions about its consistency with those understandings.

In this context, Kurdiyar Dri’i, a member of the Administrative Board of the Rojava Center for Strategic Studies, told ANHA agency that if there had been no prior coordination between the Kurdish National Council and the rest of the Kurdish forces in Rojava, particularly the joint delegation emerging from the Conference on the Unity of the Kurdish Ranks and Position in Rojava Kurdistan regarding the visit to Damascus and the meeting with the Interim Government, then such a meeting would constitute a clear blow to the outcomes of the conference.

He added: “Holding a unilateral meeting with the Interim Government without consultation with the joint Kurdish delegation constitutes a direct violation of the outcomes of the Conference on the Unity of the Kurdish Ranks and Position, and represents a real threat to the gains of our people one that our people cannot tolerate.”

Dri’i noted that if the meeting took place without consultation with other Kurdish parties, it might grant the Kurdish National Council a moment of political visibility, but it carries serious risks for the Kurds.

He continued: “However, if there was coordination with the other Kurdish parties, we hope that the purpose of meeting with the Interim Government was merely to listen to its viewpoints, especially since the invitation came from the government itself.”

Dri’i warned of the dangers of Kurdish disunity, stressing that it would keep the Kurdish cause weak at the negotiating table. He stated: “If Kurds of all political currents do not insist that any dialogue be conducted through unified representation, Damascus will continue its policy of negotiating with each party separately a policy that has historically weakened the Kurdish cause.”

In concluding his remarks, Kurdiyar Dri’i recalled the suffering endured by the Kurds over decades as a result of the lack of Kurdish unity, saying: “Governments occupying Kurdistan, including the current Syrian Interim Government, have always sought to undermine a unified Kurdish position and to create divisions among the pillars of the Kurdish movement.”

ANHA