Around 400 delegates have gathered in Qamishli, northeastern Syria (Rojava), to attend the first Kurdish national conference aimed at strengthening unity among Kurdish groups in the region. Representatives from Syria, the Kurdistan Region, and Turkey are participating in this significant pan-Kurdish event.
The “Kurdish Unity and Consensus in Western Kurdistan Conference” marks a crucial moment for Kurdish political collaboration in Syria. After months of planning and negotiations, the event brings together two major Kurdish political factions in Rojava—the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC)—following years of intermittent talks. The primary goal is to present a unified front, bolstering the Kurdish position in future discussions with the new Syrian government.
The recent political changes in Syria, particularly the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and shifting dynamics in the region, have intensified Kurdish efforts to present a unified stance. Western nations, including the U.S. and France, have shown support for a stronger Kurdish role as Syria transitions.
Delegates from across Syria and Kurdish parties from the Kurdistan Region and southeast Turkey have arrived for the event, which began at 10 am local time and is set to last four hours. The opening ceremony included the raising of two Kurdish flags—the Kurdistan flag and the tricolor flag of the Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM)—along with the singing of the Kurdish national anthem, “Ey Reqib,” and a moment of silence for those lost in conflict.
Notable speakers included SDF leader Abdi, and representatives from the Turkey-based Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) also attended. The visit from Turkish parliament members is rare, reflecting recent diplomatic progress between Rojava, Damascus, and Ankara. The Turkish government has recently supported the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Syria’s national security framework, and tensions with the PKK have eased as a new peace process unfolds.
Delegates from the Kurdistan Region also joined, with Hamid Darbandi representing the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and members from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) showing their support for Kurdish unity in Rojava.
Although there were no representatives from Western Iran (Rojhelat), a speech was read on their behalf at the conference, further emphasizing the shared commitment to Kurdish solidarity
