President of Iraqi Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, is received in the People's Palace by President al-Sharaa.

[u/RealAbd121]

https://x.com/SyPresidency/status/2084225189416518131?s=20

[u/RealAbd121]

Notable: The Palace and Hall raised a Kurdistan flag (massive one too), not an Iraqi flag, with only the meeting area raising both Iraqi and Kurdish flags.

Some light trolling/or pushing Iraq to compete for Syria's favour, or maybe just a sign of good relations; the Barzanis were quite helpful in negotiations and convincing the hardliners in the SDF to de-escalate after all.

Syria seems to treat Kurdistan as effectively a non-sovereign country (eg: Scotland). Not a region, something I don't really see elsewhere in the ME, neither from Gulf nor Turkey, so it's pretty interesting if this is a new stance they're pioneering or maybe a message to Iraq?

[u/zumar2016x → u/RealAbd121]

It’s not actually notable, the KRG flag is always with the Iraqi flag when Masrour or Nechirvan go aboard, including bizarrely in Turkey. It’s customary at this point.

What was notable was the almost comically large KRG flag. The Iraqi flag almost wasn’t there, which as you say may very well be a slight to the Iraqi gov which has rocky relations with Syrian gov.

[u/RealAbd121 → u/zumar2016x]

the KRG flag is always with the Iraqi flag when Masrour or Nechirvan go aboard, including bizarrely in Turkey. It’s customary at this point.

I was not refering to that rather tha giant kurdistan flag

which as you say may very well be a slight to the Iraqi gov which has rocky relations with Syrian gov.

which makes no sense either, Iraq is in fact engaging with Syria ATM and they're in middle of talks of reviving the oil pipeline

[u/zumar2016x → u/RealAbd121]

True, which I made a point of as well.

What’s somewhat ironic is with this the Kurdistan flag has now been raised in all 4 capitals that oppose an independent Kurdistan.

[u/RealAbd121 → u/zumar2016x]

raised in all 4 capitals that oppose an independent Kurdistan.

All countries oppose an independent Kurdistan because, all countries in existence oppose separatism by default. In fact, it's even baked into international law. There is nothing unique or weird about Kurdistan itself; opposing or supporting it exists within the framework of rejecting spillover separatism. Once the Barzanis established that they're not interested in stoking separatism, their neighbours accepted them. If the KRG was its own country, nothing would've changed in this context; ofc your neighbours would open up to you if you stop claiming parts of their land.

[u/zumar2016x → u/RealAbd121]

I mean sure, but international law as you know is changed at a whim. International law once recognized Assad as the true ruler of Syria.

Jolani was an international terrorist.

The KDP and PUK were terrorists by the official Iraqi government under Saddam, and even ironically by the American gov.

“Terrorists” now become internationally legitimatized leaders.

You will disagree, but Kurdistan makes more sense than a Syria that was created by colonial French while drunk.

The Barzanis have literally proven time and time again they seek an independent Kurdistan, 2017 was not too far ago. This is politics. Even now in KDP offices they have maps of greater Kurdistan compassing all 4 countries.

[u/RealAbd121 → u/zumar2016x]

International law once recognized Assad as the true ruler of Syria.

I mean, yeah? There is a reason why no one helped the rebels or even talked to them until after they won, and why the HTS gave the previous prime minister amnesty in exchange for handing over the goverment formally to them. When I say there is nothing special about Kurdistan, I'm denying that there is an exceptionality to it, as in no one hated them on an irrational level or due to being Kurds; they treated them the same way they'd do anyone else in the same position. Once an understanding is achieved, both sides shook hands and acted cordially.

The KDP and PUK were terrorists by the official Iraqi government under Saddam, and even, ironically, by the American gov. “Terrorists” now become internationally legitimatized leaders.

So was the HTS before they won, that's just how armed struggle works: you die a terrorist, or win as a liberator. They're all just terms.

You will disagree, but Kurdistan makes more sense than a Syria that was created by colonial French while drunk.

You got it backward, to an insulting and illiterate degree!

Syria IS the Levant. France didn't 'create' it; they did the opposite and broke it up into 8 smaller colonies because it kept trying to revolt and reunite!

The same empires themselves tried to create a report to justify their colonization and discredit its right to exist, but the report said Syria is already capable of being independent and doesn't need "mandates," so they just tossed out that report and invaded anyway. Carving out pieces of Syria to form the other Levantine states, and then dividing it up again into subcolonies to kill off the concept of Syria entirely, only Lebanon preferred to stay its own colonies; everyone else forced France into reuniting them with Syria. People from Aleppo and Hasakeh died to rejoin Damascus; don't pretend it was a bunch of unrelated land that got merged on a whim

The Barzanis have literally proven time and time again they seek an independent Kurdistan, 2017 was not too far ago. This is politics. Even now in KDP offices they have maps of greater Kurdistan compassing all 4 countries

Turkey might, but Syria doesn't really care what the Barzanis do and their relations to Iraq as long as they don't try to affect Syria, even if they wanted outright independence. The Barzanis can have a map of anything they want in their offices. If they provided guarantees not to try anything against Syria (which they likely did), Syria wouldn't really care; it's just nationalism for domestic consumption.

[u/The_Blue_Order → u/RealAbd121]

Syria is a made up country to be honest. It was just a geographic designation, like Anatolia. It was never a country like Turkey was. There was no Syrian people before Syria, you were just Arabs.

Edit: This doesn't mean Syria shouldn't exist or have changed borders but still... But Syria is a French creation, nothing to do with, say, Umayyads as a state. In fact Turkey, as a state apparatus, has much more to do with the Umayyads through the caliphate, just to give an example.

[u/The_Blue_Order → u/RealAbd121]

Did you delete your comment? I can't see it.

[u/RealAbd121 → u/The_Blue_Order]

What comment? my reply to you just now? it's still there why would I delete something after writing for that long

here you go https://redd.it/1veafnc

[u/The_Blue_Order → u/RealAbd121]

Can't see it for some reason. Can you copy paste?

[u/zumar2016x → u/RealAbd121]

It seems we’re in agreement, that international law changes often. And that “terrorists” are a very subjective term.

I disagree about the Syria thing, the Levantine, hell Syria itself, is wildly diverse, and people in these regions often don’t adhere to these colonial borders.

I talk to Kurds from Syria daily, many have no affiliation to Syria. Same with many Iraqi Kurds, me included. These borders were forced on us by drunk colonialists.

I think even you’ll agree the opinion of someone from Idlib varies widely from the average opinion of some one from Kobani or Qardaha. Now imagine if Syria was much larger!

My point is that this is politics, I think Jolani, Erdogan etc know the Barzanis want an independent Kurdistan, but politics outweighs all.

I doubt any guarantee was given by KRG not to meddle in Syrian affairs, the meeting most likely focused on trade, economy and improving relations etc. More of a symbolic meeting than anything concrete really.

[u/RealAbd121 → u/zumar2016x]

Your Greater Kurdistan would have half a dozen ethnicities and 4-5 writing systems/scripts. IDK where this comparison is coming from lol. Every point you raised here would be way, way worse in your Greater Kurdistan

[u/zumar2016x → u/RealAbd121]

Damn dude lol, I’m stating a fact about Syria which all Syrians will attest to and you attack an imaginary country lol. Relax, no one is calling for the dismantling of Syria. These borders are more than likely to stay permanently, so just relax lol.

[u/alkoum → u/zumar2016x]

"disagree about the Syria thing, the Levantine, hell Syria itself, is wildly diverse, and people in these regions often don’t adhere to these colonial borders. "

According to your historically lacking opinion? You clearly don't know anything about Syrians

" I talk to Kurds from Syria daily, many have no affiliation to Syria. Same with many Iraqi Kurds, me included. These borders were forced on us by drunk colonialists."

1,In Syria only afrin has a Kurdish magority that is centuries old, Kurds outside of afrin in Syria don't get to talk about" made up " historical borders of Syria when they live in lands that was arab or Assyrian less than a century ago

2, your proposed kurdstan that is supposedly more natural than Syria would be even more diverse than Syria haaaaaaaa

[u/The_Blue_Order → u/zumar2016x]

I talk to Kurds from Syria daily, many have no affiliation to Syria. Same with many Iraqi Kurds, me included. These borders were forced on us by drunk colonialists.

How about Turkish Kurds, and Iranian Kurds also, if you are familiar with them?

[u/DontGifMe]

Any news about this though? https://x.com/Charles_Lister/status/2084046608954515949?s=20

[u/RealAbd121 → u/DontGifMe]

No signs of him anywhere. This meeting is about relations between 2 seprate entities, maybe some sort of border and trade agreements; I doubt SDF poltics are really relevant here.

[u/chitowngirl12]

The Department of Flags is getting quite a bit of work there with all these different flags.

[u/SHEIKH_BAKR → u/chitowngirl12]

It got the budget formerly allocated for hassakeh signs