Kurds

EU to restore Syria relations, strengthen trade and security ties, document shows

Syria, which had most Western sanctions lifted at the end of last year, is seeking broader integration into the international community under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa hold a press conference at the Chancellery, in Berlin, Germany March 30, 2026.
SDF leader Mazloum Abdi (L) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) signing a deal to end the war between their two groups, March 2025.

Syrian President Sharaa hosts Kurdish SDF leaders to talk integration

Komala Toilers of Kurdistan militia members during a military ceremony near Erbil, Iraq, March 12, 2026; illustrative.

Iranian-backed drone attack kills Kurdish female member of opposition group

Kurdish women dance hand in hand as the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) members celebrate Nowruz at the Jezhnikan Village around Baharka, Iraq, on March 18, 2025.

Kurds allegedly forced to register as Syrian Arabs to receive citizenship, NGO claims 


What happens to ISIS detainees as Syria moves to take over SDF prisons - analysis

Amid fighting there are concerns ISIS detainees held in Syria could escape, while a deal foresees them being handed over to Damascus

Women and children queue during a joint security operation by Syria's Kurdish Internal Security Police Force, also known as Asayesh, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) at Camp Roj where foreign relatives of people suspected of belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group are held.

Kurdish refugees flee Syria as government forces gain ground

Over 500 Kurdish families have fled Syria amid escalating clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led groups, as fears grow over the potential collapse of the SDF.

A group of civilians carry bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 7, 2026

Erdogan, Sharaa discuss Syria as SDF confirms withdrawal following ceasefire

Turkey’s President Erdogan spoke with Syrian President Sharaa after a deal with Kurdish forces, as SDF leader Mazloum Abdi confirmed a military withdrawal, and plans to visit Damascus.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, February 4, 2025.

Syrian government, SDF agree on immediate ceasefire on all fronts, state media says

Syrian state media reported that Damascus and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces reached an immediate ceasefire after days of clashes in Kurdish-held areas of the northeast.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa signs a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces, Damascus, January 18, 2026.

Syria's power struggle: Who controls what, and why fighting continues - analysis

For some commentators, the current conflict in Syria boils down to the new Syrian government attacking Kurdish forces. While this is correct in some ways, it is also very simplistic.

A group of civilians carry bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 7, 2026

CENTCOM urges Syria to cease attacks on SDF, Kurdish forces as clashes escalate

US Central Command has appeared to try to seek to de-escalate tensions. US officials, including envoy Tom Barrack, have also tried to manage the escalating violence.

A group of civilians carry bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 7, 2026

US killed al-Qaeda affiliate leader tied to December attack in Syria, CENTCOM says

US-led coalition planes flew over flashpoint towns in northern Syria where army troops and Kurdish factions clashed on Saturday, a Syrian security source and a Turkish defense source told Reuters.

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

Al-Sharaa issues decree granting Kurdish Syrians full Syrian nationality, legal protections

The decree, which includes eight articles, established that “Syrian Kurdish citizens are an essential and integral part of the Syrian people."

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa delivers a speech on the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad's fall, in Damascus, Syria December 8, 2025.

Syria's Kurdish outreach masks plans for new offensive against SDF in Aleppo - analysis

Syria’s President Ahmad al-Sharaa “affirmed that the injustices witnessed in Syria during the decades of the deposed regime’s rule affected all segments of the Syrian population without exception.”

A member of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stands guard as Syrian Kurds attend a protest in solidarity with people in Sweida, on July 17, 2025.

Iranian filmmaker Javad Ganji killed in Tehran protests, anti-regime data shows

Iranian filmmaker Javad Ganji, 39, was shot during protests in Tehran's Sadeghiyeh area, according to Hengaw and the National Council of Resistance of Iran's data.

Iranian filmmaker Javad Ganji, believed to be killed during a protest in Tehran, in an undated picture.