Kurdish Unity Conference in Beth Zalin (Qamishli), North and East Syria, sparks Turkish criticism and debate over federalism in Syria

BETH ZALIN, North and East Syria — The Kurdish Unity Conference, held last Saturday in the Beth Zalin (Qamishli) northern Syrian city of Zalin (Qamishli) under the sponsorship of the United States and France, has ignited controversy. Turkish nationalist leader Devlet Bahçeli, head of the Nationalist Movement Party (Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi, MHP), issued sharp criticism, while the Kurdistan Syria Front defended the conference’s stance on federalism, challenging recent remarks from the Syrian presidency.

Bahçeli, in a detailed statement, denounced the conference, which was supported by US and French sponsors and brought together the Democratic Union Party (Partiya Yekîtiya Demokrat, PYD) and the Kurdish National Council (Encûmena Niştimanî ya Kurdî li Sûriyê, ENKS). He argued that the resolutions adopted undermine Syria’s unity and territorial integrity. In particular, Bahçeli rejected discussions on decentralization, describing them as a breach of the March agreement between transitional Syrian Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) General Commander Mazloum Abdi.

“The decisions made at this conference directly challenge Syria’s sovereignty and stability,” Bahçeli stated, urging the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (Halkların Eşitlik ve Demokrasi Partisi, DEM Party), whose representatives attended the event, to oppose its resolutions. He emphasized his party’s firm stance against any form of Kurdish autonomy in the region.

Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Syria Front issued a strongly worded response, condemning the Syrian Transitional Government’s (STG) characterization of federalism as a “threat to national unity.” The Front criticized such rhetoric as reflective of the previous regime’s approach, which marginalized national partners and treated the Kurdish issue as a security problem.

“Federalism is not a threat or a division of the country; it is the optimal framework for building a new Syria based on pluralism and democracy,” the Front’s statement declared. It further argued, “No federal state in the world has divided; only centralized and unitary states have faced such outcomes.”

The conference aimed to foster Kurdish unity and explore decentralization as a governance model for Syria, sparking heated debates over the country’s political future. While advocates see federalism as a means of inclusivity and stability, critics like Bahçeli view it as a potential destabilizing force that could exacerbate tensions in the region.

Observers note that the polarized responses to the Kurdish Unity Conference underscore the challenges of navigating Syria’s post-conflict transition. As discussions about federalism and decentralization continue, the task remains to reconcile differing visions for the country’s future while safeguarding the rights and representation of all its communities.