At the 6th Middle East Peace and Security Forum held in the city of Duhok in the Kurdistan Region under the leadership of the American University of Kurdistan–Duhok, Ilham Ahmed, Co-Chair of the Foreign Relations Department of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, delivered a speech. Hundreds of political representatives, diplomats, and academics from Turkey, the Middle East, and many other countries attended the forum.

 

Ilham Ahmed stated: “The Kurdish issue has remained unresolved for 100 years, and Kurds still do not have their rights. In Syria, the regime has maintained this stance from the very beginning. The government insists that all authority should remain exclusively in its hands, and this is the source of the problems. Damascus is reversing the process, and for that reason, we cannot engage in dialogue.”

 

Highlighting the role of women in the peace process, Ilham Ahmed said: “A peace that does not include women cannot be lasting. Communication and educational efforts are very important for peace.”

 

Emphasizing that a centralized system disregards all rights, Ahmed added: “In a Syria governed with a mentality of one language and one color, problems cannot be solved. First, the mindset must change, and the rights of the peoples of Syria must be respected.”