Kurds

Trump speaks with Syria’s Sharaa to ensure peace, cooperation in eastern Syria

As Syria seeks to continue the ceasefire and also works with the US to avoid tension, as Syria’s president is also heading to Russia.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025.
DEMONSTRATORS HOLD a placard featuring a braided hair as a symbolic act of resistance and solidarity with Kurdish women in Syria, during a protest supporting Syrian Kurds after recent clashes between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces, in Istanbul, Turkey, January 24, 2026.

Kurdish women turn braids into symbol of resistance after Syria atrocities - explainer

Across global demonstrations and in thousands of videos posted online, Kurdish women and their allies have begun braiding their hair in honor of a female Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces fighter.

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Members of the Syrian security forces gather at a back of a vehicle outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria January 23, 2026.

US, UK, France, Germany, call for ceasefire adherence in Syria, support political transition

The statement was released on January 27, two days after the STG and SDF announced they had extended a four-day ceasefire, which began on January 20, by 15 more days.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A member of the Syrian army walks with a weapon in the street as civilians flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Aleppo, Syria, January 7, 2026

‘There will be hell in Syria’: Kurdish campaigner urges international intervention

Rebwar Hazhar, the chairman of Conservative Friends of Kurdistan, told The Jerusalem Post that Washington’s relationship with Damascus would only be temporary.

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD

Kurdish-led SDF not complying with Syria integration deal, Turkish source says

Turkey views the US-backed SDF as a terrorist organization and has repeatedly said it expects the group to abide by the deal to disarm and integrate into the Syrian state apparatus.

AUGUST 7, 2025ByREUTERS
SYRIAN DEMOCRATIC Forces celebrate the first anniversary of Raqqa province’s liberation from ISIS, in Raqqa, Syria, in October 2018.

Family of Kurd executed by Iran deny allegations linking him with Mossad - report

Iran's judiciary has executed Kurdish porters under charges including "moharebeh" (enmity against God), and "efsad-e fel-arz" (corruption on earth).

AUGUST 3, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Kurdish men carry goods on their backs along the mountains of the Iran-Iraq border; illustrative.

Turkey under Erdogan: Friend or foe to US and Israel? - opinion

While relations between Washington and Ankara may be warming, there is no sign that Erdogan is cooling his anti-Israel rhetoric.

JULY 31, 2025ByDOUGLAS BLOOMFIELD
SYRIA’S PRESIDENT Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a news conference in Ankara earlier this year. Israel, the US, and Turkey are key players in setting the fate of Syria and regional stability, the writer maintains.

Why Israel must support Syria’s minorities - opinion

Israel may be the only hope for vulnerable minorities in Syria in need of protection from the new Syrian regime.

JULY 23, 2025ByMEM HUSEDIN, JASON SHVILI
THE US has lifted economic sanctions on Syria and President Donald Trump even met with Ahmed al-Sharaa in May, in Riyadh, praising him highly, the writer notes.

ISIS likely culprit behind attack on US-backed SDF in east Syria - analysis

This matters because if ISIS is on the rise in parts of Syria, then it will require coordination between Damascus and the SDF. The SDF controls a third of Syria.

JULY 15, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, attends an interview with Reuters in Shaddadi, Syria, June 13, 2025.

Why Erdogan, not Netanyahu, is the real threat to Middle East peace - opinion

While Israel has worked to put an end to Iran’s campaign to dominate the Middle East, Turkey has consistently undermined peace.

JULY 10, 2025ByMEM HUSEDIN, JASON SHVILI
TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization last week in Khankendi, Azerbaijan.

Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan says armed struggle with Turkey over

The video marks a rare and pivotal moment in the long-running conflict, offering what could be Erdogan's most significant opportunity yet to seal a political settlement to the Kurdish issue.

JULY 9, 2025ByREUTERS
Syrian Kurds hold flags as they gather after Turkey's jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan called on his Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to lay down its arms on Thursday, a move that could end its 40-year conflict with Ankara and have far-reaching political and security consequences for the region,

PKK moves towards peace: Ocalan’s historic appeal for a democratic future - analysis

The PKK had said it would lay down its arms and disband back in May. However, it is not clear when this process will begin and how long it will take.

JULY 9, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey, February 27, 2025.

Kurdish PKK militants to begin handing over arms in Iraq on Friday, NTV says

The PKK, in a conflict with Turkey for over 40 years, decided in May to disband after a public call from jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan in February.

JULY 8, 2025ByREUTERS
Syrian Kurds hold up an image of Turkey's jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan as they gather after Ocalan called on his Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to lay down its arms on Thursday, in Hasakah, Syria February 27, 2025.

Who is behind the mysterious drone attack targets Kurdish region in Iraq? - analysis

Over the past few weeks there have been a concerning pattern of attacks, though it is not clear who would have an agenda to target Yazidis.

JULY 2, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A woman holds the flag of Kurdistan during the celebration of Nowruz Day, a festival marking the first day of spring and Persian New Year, in Akra, Iraq March 20, 2025.