EXCLUSIVE: President Barzani to mediate Abdi–Barrack talks in Erbil

Shafaq News– Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani is mediating a planned meeting in Erbil between Tom Barrack, the US special envoy to Syria, and Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Wafa Mohammed Karim, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), in which Barzani serves as deputy leader, told Shafaq News that the talks, scheduled for Saturday, were arranged through efforts led by the Kurdish president.

Earlier today, the US-based Al-Monitor reported that Erbil is set to host the meeting “in bid to avoid escalation in Syria.”

Since December 2025, Aleppo has seen escalating tensions between Syria's government factions and the SDF that have killed at least 24 people and injured about 129, according to the city’s Health Directorate. Meanwhile, SDF-affiliated media reported 10 civilian deaths in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, including four women and two children, and the displacement of more than 165,000 people.

Officials in the Kurdistan Region have repeatedly denounced the killings, with KDP leader Masoud Barzani warning that political disputes must not endanger civilian lives or lead to acts such as “ethnic cleansing” against the Kurds.

Shafaq News correspondent reported that a military delegation from the US-led Global Coalition met SDF leaders earlier on Friday to discuss de-escalation in Deir Hafer, east of Aleppo.