ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Jailed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan has written to Arab tribal leaders in northern Syria calling for Kurdish-Arab unity and support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), amid heightened tensions between the Kurdish-led force and Damascus-affiliated groups.
The letter, dated July 28, and published on Sunday by Hawar News Agency (ANHA), a media outlet close to Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria (Rojava), addressed to Arab sheikhs and tribal elders in the Jazira, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa and Tabqa regions, praised Arab support for Kurdish forces and urged continued cooperation based on what Ocalan called a "democratic nation system."
"Arabs and Kurds must live together in peace, and this is linked to your support for the Syrian Democratic Forces. In this regard, your support for the Syrian Democratic Forces is of utmost importance and has great meaning," wrote Ocalan from Turkey's Imrali prison, where he has been held since 1999.
The jailed Kurdish leader said he stands "in support of the brotherhood and alliance between the Kurdish and Arab peoples, given its historical foundation,"
The appeal comes amid ongoing talks between the SDF and Damascus over the implementation of a landmark March 10 agreement between SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The US-backed deal has been partially implemented, but disagreements persist over how SDF forces will integrate into Syria's national army.
There are concerns that tensions between the SDF and Damascus could impact peace talks between the Turkish state and the PKK.
Ankara is in talks with the Turkey-based PKK about ending nearly half a century of a deadly war that has claimed the lives of over 40,000 people. Acting on a February call from Ocalan, the PKK has agreed to dissolve itself and lay down arms. In response, the Turkish parliament has formed a commission to resolve the conflict through the legislature and guarantee its success.
Turkish officials claim that the peace process with the PKK also includes the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF, but the YPG and Kurdish mediators have denied this and Ocalan has reportedly stated that he has a different plan for Rojava, describing it as a “red line.”
The US-backed SDF serves as the de facto army in northeast Syria, controlling many Arab-majority cities and acting as the global anti-ISIS coalition's main ground partner.
Ocalan called on tribal leaders to play "an important and historic role in establishing a democratic, secure, unified, and just Syria," emphasizing the importance of Arab support for the SDF.
"Relations between the Kurdish and Arab peoples, friendship and brotherhood... have always been at the forefront," the letter stated.
Arab tribal backing has proven crucial for SDF control in predominantly Arab areas, though the alliance has faced periodic unrest from communities opposing Kurdish-led administration.
Ocalan urged that "Arabs and Kurds must live together in peace" and called for equality among all ethnic and religious groups in Syria, including Syriacs and Assyrians.
The 76-year-old PKK leader has been serving a life sentence on Imrali island since his 1999 capture, occasionally issuing statements through lawyers on Kurdish and regional issues.