Kurdistan National Congress concludes 23rd Congress with multi-ethnic participation, Jacob Mirza of Bethnahrin National Council elected to Executive Council

BAARLO, Netherlands — The Kurdistan National Congress (Kongreya Neteweyî ya Kurdistanê, KNK) concluded a two-day closed congress in the Netherlands this weekend, bringing together political and civil party delegations from Kurdish, Syriac, Yezidi, and other Mesopotamian peoples around the world to discuss strategies for unity, political coordination, and regional stability.

This 23rd congress, which began on Saturday, started with a reading and discussion of the official report containing the activities of the KNK of the last two years. Among the participants was Jacob Mirza, delegate of the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo D’Bethnahrin, MUB), who was elected to the governing body during the 2-day congress. In his address to the delegates, which he delivered in the Syriac language, Mirza emphasized the importance of inclusive dialogue and collaboration among the diverse Mesopotamian national and political movements — even though Kurdish groups are the majority and driving force behind the Kurdistan National Congress, Syriacs often refer to the KNK as a Mesopotamian body.

Messages of congratulations were read aloud to commemorate the 23rd Congress of the Kurdistan National Congress, with expressions of support pouring in from organizations and communities across the Kurdish diaspora.

Overall, the delegates to the congress focused on several key issues, including the national unity among Kurdish parties and the exploration of political solutions to the escalating crises across the Middle East. Attendees also reviewed the latest developments on both the local Mesopotamian and international levels.

On Sunday, elections were held for the Kurdistan National Congress’ 25-member executive council for the coming term. At the same time, the two incumbent Co-Chairs, Ahmet Karamus and Zeyneb Murat, were reelected. MUB delegate Jacob Mirza was elected into the 25-member council.

After their re-election, Karamus and Murat took the floor and each addressed the assembled delegates. The floor was then opened for questions from the all members. A topic that was questioned and discussed a lot was the recent call by the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê, PKK) Abdullah Öcalan for the Turkish state to transform itself into a full-fledged and inclusive democracy, and for the PKK to lay down its arms. According to Jacob Mirza, many congress members agreed with Öcalan’s call, including the MUB. Many see a peaceful democratic path as the only solution for lasting peace in Mesopotamia.

KNK member Joseph Lahdo, representative of the Syriac Union Party (Gabo d’Ḥuyodo Suryoyo, SUP) in Europe, shared brief remarks to our newsdesk, providing insight into the agenda and the significance of building coalitions among marginalized components amid regional uncertainty. Lahdo also held an intervention during the question and comment round focusing on the role of the SUP in the establishment of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Region of North and East Syria (DAARNES), i.e. from its very beginning. He highlighted the SUP’s involvement across all administrative, political, and military structures of DAARNES and emphasized its significance as a model that could potentially be expanded throughout the whole of Syria. In his intervention, Lahdo underscored the importance of resolving the issues of national and religious components and building a democratic, civil, and decentralized Syria.