“Syrian Kurds Advocate for a Democratic State Ensuring Ethnic Rights Protection”

In QAMISHLI, Representatives of Kurdish groups in Syria made a call on Saturday for the establishment of a democratic state that would secure ethnic rights for the country’s Kurdish population following the ousting of Bashar Assad.

In a gathering held in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli, around 400 individuals representing the primary Kurdish groups in Syria gathered to coordinate their stances, one month after Syrian leadership reached a significant agreement with the Kurdish-led authorities in the northeast region.

During the 54-year reign of the Assad family, Kurds in Syria faced marginalization, with many being deprived of citizenship and falsely categorized as Arabs. Following Bashar Assad’s removal in early December, Syria’s Kurdish population has been striving to uphold the cultural advancements they achieved in the northeast region they established during the nation’s civil conflict.

A statement issued at the end of the one-day meeting that was attended by groups including the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, the Democratic Union Party, or PYD, and the Kurdish National Council called for a “fair and comprehensive” solution for the Kurdish cause in a “democratic and decentralized country.”

They said that the country’s constitution should “guarantee the national rights of the Kurdish people and abide by international laws for human rights and women’s rights.” The statement said women should actively participate in state institutions in Syria.

The groups also called for post-Assad Syria to give equal rights to all its citizens “without marginalizing anyone.”

The meeting was attended by representatives of Kurdish groups from Turkey and Iraq.

Kurds made up 10% of the country’s prewar population of 23 million. Kurdish officials have been saying that they don’t want full autonomy with their own government and parliament; they want decentralization and room to run their day-to-day affairs.