Tensions Rise Between Damascus (Syria) and PKK/YPG After Kamışlı Conference

The call for a “federation” made during a recent conference in the PKK/YPG-controlled city of Kamışlı has escalated tensions between the Syrian regime and the terrorist group. Damascus responded by stating that such a move violates existing agreements.

A conference held on Saturday in Kamışlı, a city under the control of the PKK/YPG in northern Syria, has caused renewed friction. A declaration issued following the event included a call for a federal system, which drew criticism from both Ankara and Damascus. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized the necessity of preserving Syria’s territorial integrity.

The Syrian government responded strongly, rejecting what it described as “an attempt to impose a separatist reality.” Damascus also accused the PKK/YPG of obstructing the functioning of official Syrian state institutions in the areas it controls.

PKK Issues Statement with ‘Öcalan’ Demand

Meanwhile, there had been speculation that the PKK would declare the organization disbanded at a planned congress in Sulaymaniyah on Sunday. Despite Minister Fidan’s earlier statement warning that “The PKK will either withdraw from the system peacefully or by other means,” the expected declaration did not materialize.

Instead, the PKK issued a statement demanding that the congress be led by imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan, claiming that “We do not want to be the party that disrupts the process.”