Shafaq News – Erbil

Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani warned on Wednesday that Syria faces its “last opportunity” to begin a new phase, urging Syrian Kurds to engage directly with Damascus and open a political office there.

Speaking at a panel discussion during the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) Forum in Erbil, titled “Shaping the Future: Visions for Peace and Prosperity,” Barzani said, “What is happening in Syria — I see it as the last chance for the country. Our role in the international community should be to help Syrian actors move their state into a new stage. We do not see Syria as a threat; we wish for better conditions there.”

“The Syrian people have suffered greatly and deserve a better life by all standards.”

Barzani noted that one of the main obstacles remains the centralized nature of the Syrian government. “I personally discussed this issue with [transitional President] Ahmad al-Sharaa…Syria cannot be governed in a centralized way. It is not made up of one component, but of Arabs, Christians, Kurds, and others.”

He continued, “When someone says they want to manage the country under Bashar al-Assad’s centralized vision, we do not find that suitable. I told this to Ahmad al-Shara as well. Still, the current administration should be given a chance to see where it takes Syria.”

Barzani emphasized that his remarks were mainly directed at Syrian Kurds, advising them to go to Damascus “as soon as possible, open an office there, and see themselves as hosts, not guests. They should participate in Syria’s political process.”

“I don’t know what the Kurds in Syria are waiting for,” he added. “The best solution is an agreement with Damascus. I understand they were told to join the Syrian army, which I find wrong and unacceptable — but a compromise could be found. I remember in 2003, our biggest disagreement with the United States was when they asked us to change the name of the Peshmerga forces.”

Barzani acknowledged that relations between Erbil and Syrian Kurds have fluctuated. “Sometimes our relationship with the Kurds in Syria cools; other times it improves. But in principle, we meet — just as the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan meet in their core beliefs.”

He concluded, “The era of war has passed for Kurdish culture. Our role has been a supportive one. We have said that Syrian Kurds can manage their own affairs, and the PKK should not interfere. If the PKK continues its involvement, the problems in Syria will not be solved.”