Washington, Jan.20 (SANA) U.S. special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, said the greatest opportunity for the Kurds in Syria right now lies in this period under the new government, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
“This moment offers a pathway to full integration into a unified Syrian State with citizenship rights, cultural protections, and political participation— long denied under the ousted regime, where many Kurds faced statelessness, language restrictions, and systemic discrimination,” Barrack said on X.
He added that historically, the US military presence in northeastern Syria was justified primarily as a counter-ISIS partnership.
“Today, the situation has fundamentally changed. Syria now has an acknowledged central government that has joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS-as its 90th member in late 2025- and Damascus is now both willing and positioned to take over security responsibilities, including control of ISIS detention facilities and camps,” Barrack said.
He added that recent developments show that the US has engaged extensively with the Syrian Government and SDF to secure an integration agreement, signed on January 18, and to set a clear pathway for timely and peaceful implementation.
“The US has no interest in long-term military presence; it prioritizes defeating ISIS remnants, supporting reconciliation, and advancing national unity without endorsing separatism or federalism. This creates a unique window for the Kurds; integration into the new Syrian State offers full citizenship rights -including for those previously stateless-recognition as an integral part of Syria, constitutional protections for Kurdish language and culture,” the U.S. diplomate said.
MZN
