On Friday, Syria’s interim President Ahmad al‑Sharaa held a phone call with President Masoud Barzani about the situation in Aleppo, in which President Barzani underlined the importance of building an inclusive state in Syria.

President Barzani expressed his appreciation for President al‑Sharaa’s vision and reiterated his support for the will and aspirations of the Syrian people to build an inclusive state that brings together all parties and components as equal partners. 

He also emphasized the importance of continued consultation and coordination in a way that serves the interests of all sides and safeguards civil peace.

During the call, President al‑Sharaa affirmed that the Kurds are an authentic and essential component of the Syrian people, stressing the Syrian state’s full commitment to guaranteeing all national, political, and civil rights for the Kurds and all other components in Syria on an equal basis and without discrimination.

Read More: President Barzani Warns of Grave Danger to Kurdish Civilians in Aleppo

Earlier this week on Wednesday, President Barzani called on the Syrian government “not to allow political disagreements to turn into ethnic conflict, and not to permit the problems and tensions in the Aleppo region to result in pressure, abuse, forced displacement from their ancestral homes, or ethnic cleansing against Kurdish citizens.” 

On Tuesday, heavy clashes broke out between Kurdish forces and Syrian government forces. Fighting is ongoing as of Friday, despite efforts to reach a ceasefire. On Friday, Kurdish fighters rejected a ceasefire proposal and a 9:00 pm deadline from Syria’s Ministry of Defense to transport Kurdish fighters by buses to northeast Syria.

On Friday morning, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said that the United States warmly welcomed the temporary ceasefire achieved the night before. “This truce begins the vital work of guiding Syria’s diverse lanes,” he said. 

However, the buses sent by Syria’s Ministry of Defense returned empty and the local administration in the Kurdish neighborhood said they would not bow to pressure resulting from the repressive policies and human rights violations carried out by forces affiliated with the Damascus government. 

“We cannot entrust our security and our neighborhoods to them. Therefore, we cannot back down from protecting our neighborhoods,” the People's Council of the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh Neighborhoods said in a statement.