Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani warned on Thursday that Syria narrowly avoided a “dangerous” Kurdish–Arab war following recent clashes between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), before a ceasefire halted the fighting.

Speaking at the opening of the 11th Mesopotamian Health Congress in Erbil, Barzani said that “major disasters nearly unfolded in Rojava*,” describing the situation as having reached a critical point before being contained. Preventing escalation, he stressed, spared the region a far broader and more destructive conflict.

Identifying the prospect of a Kurdish–Arab war as his greatest fear, Barzani noted that “Kurds have not historically waged wars against other peoples,” adding, “Kurdish uprisings targeted aggressors rather than communities.”

“Leadership sometimes requires restraint over emotion,” he argued, saying that unlike past crises such as the battle for Kobani against ISIS, the current phase demanded “de-escalation to cool tensions.” Despite serious incidents, the Kurdish leader affirmed, the violence did not turn into an ethnic conflict, an outcome he said would have had severe consequences.

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On regional dynamics, Barzani said tensions remain high and voiced hope that no new wars erupt, calling dialogue the only viable alternative to conflict.

He also criticized the political paralysis in both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, pointing to “deep divisions that have stalled government formation despite elections.” Barzani urged greater transparency with the public and cited ongoing efforts to reach compromises and break the deadlock in Erbil and Baghdad.

The 11th Mesopotamian Health Congress runs from February 5 to 6 in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital, bringing together around 800 local and international physicians and specialists to discuss medical advances and treatment approaches.

* Rojava refers to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), a self-governing region in northern and northeastern Syria that emerged during the civil war after 2012 and is secured mainly by the SDF.