ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloum Abdi on Friday received Osman Baydemir, a veteran Kurdish politician from Turkey who traveled to northeast Syria (Rojava) after visiting the Kurdistan Region.
Abdi posted a photograph on X of the two embracing and described their meeting as "good.”
He said they “evaluated the situation in North and East Syria and the peace process in Northern Kurdistan and Turkey” and discussed “supporting peace and stability efforts, and opportunities for political resolution in Syria and the region.”
The SDF and the Kurdish-led administration in Rojava are in talks with the interim government in Damascus about integrating into federal structures. Their negotiations coincide with peace talks in Turkey between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Ankara.
Before traveling to Rojava, Baydemir was in the Kurdistan Region where he met with top leaders including Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani whose office said they discussed the PKK-Turkey peace talks.
Baydemir also met Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and was welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani.
“We discussed the regional situation and the recent steps in Türkiye’s peace process. We expressed our hope that the process will move forward successfully and serve the aspirations of both the Kurdish and Turkish peoples,” Talabani said on X after their meeting.
Baydemir faced prosecution in Turkey and eventually went into exile in the United Kingdom.
In 2017, during a parliamentary session, then member of parliament Baydemir used the word “Kurdistan.” When the speaker of the parliament asked him where Kurdistan was, Baydemir put his hand on his heart and said, "Here, Kurdistan is in my heart."
He was subsequently suspended from parliament.