France appears to be seeking a potential involvement in resolving the Syrian crisis following the ouster of Bashar Assad by anti-regime forces in December.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Wednesday met with Ferhat Abdi Şahin, the leader of the YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist group, in Irbil in northern Iraq to discuss the latest situation in Syria.
His visit to Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), came as part of a broader regional tour, following a stop in Baghdad.
Barrot held additional talks with senior Iraqi Kurdish leaders, including members of the Barzani family, discussing regional affairs, Irbil-Baghdad relations and Kurdish issues across the border in Syria, according to a statement from Barzani’s office.
Barrot in a post on X said he gave a message of “solidarity and loyalty with France’s historic allies”, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
Attaching a picture with Şahin, Barrot wrote: “With our comrades-in-arms against ISIS for 10 years, Commander Mazloum, the leader of Syrian Democratic Forces.”
He said the “rights and interests of Kurds must be fully taken into account” during the transition process in Syria.
According to Hawar News Agency, Barrot and Şahin’s meeting focused on ways to support political and security stability in the region, enhance dialogue among Syrian groups and explore potential French involvement in resolving the Syrian crisis.
The talks emphasized pathways toward a long-term political settlement in Syria and the importance of dialogue between the YPG and the central government in Damascus.
France has previously expressed support for a political agreement involving the YPG and Damascus, viewing such steps as essential for preserving Syria’s territorial unity and protecting the rights of all communities.
Barrot reaffirmed that position during the discussions.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist group by the European Union, the U.S. and Türkiye. The group is responsible for more than 40,000 deaths in Türkiye, including women and children. It maintains strongholds in northern Iraq and Syria to create a self-styled “Kurdish state.” The YPG is its Syrian extension backed by the United States.
The U.S. has dispatched troops along with military equipment and weapons to Syria’s northeast during the Syrian civil war to help the PKK/YPG under the pretext of the fight against Daesh.
France is an active member of the U.S.-led coalition against the Daesh terror group and maintains a military presence in northeast Syria. President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly assured France would not abandon the YPG in Syria.
Türkiye says the PKK/YPG is on par with Daesh and should have no presence in the new Syria.
Earlier this month, Syria’s post-Assad administration struck a deal with the YPG and the SDF, the umbrella group in the northeast dominated by the YPG, which agreed on a plan for the latter’s integration into the new Syria.
Ankara has welcomed the agreement, saying it would monitor the developments.
