Kurdish messages to Syria and Iraq at the Middle East Forum for Security and Peace | Politics news

Kurdistan- The Middle East Forum for Security and Peace (MEPS 2025) was concluded in the city of Dohuk in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, organized by the American University, with broad participation from prominent politicians from Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and representatives from northern and eastern Syria, in addition to academic and diplomatic delegations from the Middle East, Europe, and North America.

The forum highlighted security challenges, political transformations, and post-war crises, with special attention to the Syrian issue, the Autonomous Administration file, and the Syrian Democratic Forces as a model for the possibility of dialogue and peace-building in the region.

The head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Masoud Barzani, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zaidan, the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, and the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Fouad Hussein, participated in the forum.

The presence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, and the Co-Chair of Foreign Relations in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, Elham Ahmed, represented a remarkable feature of the forum, as Dohuk brought together Iraqi and Kurdish leaders and active forces in Syria within a complex regional circumstance dominated by conflict and competition for influence.

The specificity of the Syrian situation

In a special session on Syria, Elham Ahmed explained that the roots of the Syrian crisis go back to a ruling mentality that relies on power, weapons, and exclusion, which marginalized the various components – especially the Kurds – and perpetuated discrimination against women.

She stressed that any political process will not succeed without a new constitution that guarantees rights and establishes participatory management that goes beyond the dominance of a single center.

The co-chair of external relations in the Autonomous Administration added that the same mentality produced national and sectarian conflicts throughout the Middle East, and that the artificial limits of the Sykes-Picot Agreement still hinder dialogue. She also indicated that the accusations directed at the Autonomous Administration reflect the continuation of the mentality of exclusion, and obstructed negotiations with the transitional government.

She stressed the importance of cultural reform, education, media, and the existence of curricula that support pluralism and media that enhance security, along with the necessity of empowering women politically to ensure the success of any peace process, noting that women’s participation in self-administration constitutes a model that can be built upon in the future.

For his part, the Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, confirmed that Syria has reached a stage where war is no longer a tool for a solution, and that painful experiences over more than 13 years have proven that any military conflict inevitably ends at the dialogue table.

Abdi explained that the March 10 agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Damascus represented a turning point that prevented the country from sliding toward more dangerous scenarios, and opened the discussion for the first time about the rights of the various components in the new Syrian constitution, stressing the need for political will to implement it.

He added that Syria, after 15 years of war, will not return to the central state model, and that the reality of local administration in the north and east of the country has produced new facts on the ground that make decentralization an irreversible option, to ensure a sustainable solution and prevent the spiral of tyranny and violence.

Abdi sent a message to Ankara stressing that the institutions of the Autonomous Administration and the Syrian Democratic Forces do not pose a threat to Turkey or any regional party, but rather carry out internal defensive missions, calling for giving dialogue a real opportunity away from military pressure.

He also called on the political forces in the Kurdistan region to support Kurdish unity, promote peace in Turkey, and the contribution of the Kurdish people to the reconstruction of Syria, pointing to the great sacrifices made by the Syrian Democratic Forces and the peoples of northern and eastern Syria in the war against ISIS.

Messages to Iraq

On the other hand, the forum focused on the political future of Iraq and its relationship with the Kurdistan region, where the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Masoud Barzani, stressed the importance of fully implementing the Iraqi constitution, as it provides an advanced framework for partnership, balance and consensus between the center and the regions and guarantees the rights of all components, warning that any neglect of these rights will lead to exacerbation of crises.

For his part, Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani affirmed the federal government’s commitment after the elections to form a government according to the constitutional path, with a focus on consensus and true partnership between the parties.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein pointed to the importance of the security dimension, warning of the presence of armed militias that threaten stability, and calling for unifying the political and security ranks and implementing constitutional laws to ensure a strong and stable state.

For his part, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, stressed that his government’s support for any new government formation is “linked to commitment to constitutional entitlements and the rights of the region,” stressing that consensus, balance, and partnership are the basic principles for achieving stability in the relationship between the center and the regions.

The leaders stressed that the post-election phase requires practical steps that include forming the House of Representatives, activating the Federal Court, implementing Article 140 regarding disputed areas, and approving the oil and gas law. Warning that any postponement will negatively affect the national partnership and increase conflicts between Baghdad and Erbil.

They stressed that resolving the outstanding issues requires a joint political will, and that Iraq’s political future requires adherence to the laws and constitution, building strong institutions, and ensuring the rights of all components, to achieve a civil and institutional state capable of protecting development and services, stressing that the understanding between Baghdad and Erbil is a basic necessity for political, economic, and security stability in the country.