Kurdish regional leader meets Syrian president in Damascus over SDF integration and rights

Iraqi Kurdish regional leader Nechirvan Barzani has met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus for talks focused on the future of the Syrian Democratic Forces and Kurdish rights in post-Assad Syria. The meeting, held at the People's Palace, was described as the first visit by a Kurdish leader to Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. It comes after months of engagement between the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq and Syria's new administration.

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According to Syria's state news agency, the two sides discussed bilateral relations between Erbil and Damascus, along with regional issues they said required greater cooperation and coordination. The talks also covered the integration of the SDF into Syrian state institutions, which remains a central issue in negotiations between the force and Damascus. Kurdish representatives have sought guarantees over political and cultural rights, while Syrian officials have pushed for the force to be folded into state military structures.

The SDF controls much of northeastern Syria and has been in talks with Damascus over its future status. Reports cited in the supporting material say the discussions also touched on constitutional protections for Kurds, including language rights and administrative autonomy. Implementation of Decree No. 13, which relates to Kurdish language rights, was also on the agenda, according to those reports.

Syrian officials have also indicated interest in the Kurdistan Regional Government's experience in Kurdish-language education, curriculum development and teacher training. The meeting is significant because it points to a continuing effort to define Syria's post-war political order and the place of Kurdish-led institutions within it. Any arrangement involving the SDF could affect security control in the northeast, the balance between local autonomy and central authority, and the wider relationship between Damascus and Kurdish actors across the region.

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It also reflects the broader diplomatic opening between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Syria's new leadership. Barzani and al-Sharaa had already met twice on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, first on 11 April 2025 and again on 17 April 2026. The second meeting, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency, covered economic ties and the agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF.

Monday's visit therefore builds on an established channel of contact rather than marking the start of talks. Barzani's itinerary is also expected to include meetings with Kurdish officials in Syria, including SDF commanders and Kurdish members of the Syrian parliament, according to Kurdish media reports cited in the material. What remains unclear is whether the Damascus talks will produce any immediate agreement on the SDF's integration or on Kurdish constitutional guarantees.

The next developments to watch are whether the sides formalise any mechanism for implementation and whether further meetings follow in the coming days.

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