Syria Kurds reject ‘security zone’ under Turkish control

Syrian Kurdish protesters wave flags during a demonstration in the northeastern Syrian Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli on December 28, 2018. (AFP)
Updated 16 January 2019
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Syria Kurds reject ‘security zone’ under Turkish control

  • Syria’s Kurds rejected a US proposal for a “security zone” under Turkish control
  • Senior political leader said the Kurds would accept the deployment of UN forces

QAMISHLI: Syria’s Kurds on Wednesday rejected a US proposal for a “security zone” under Turkish control along the Syrian side of the two countries’ border.
Senior political leader Aldar Khalil said the Kurds would accept the deployment of UN forces along the separation line between Kurdish fighters and Turkish troops to ward off a threatened offensive.
“Other choices are unacceptable as they infringe on the sovereignty of Syria and the sovereignty of our autonomous region,” Khalil told AFP.


World Government Summit 2026 set to be largest ever

Updated 8 sec ago
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World Government Summit 2026 set to be largest ever

  • 35 world leaders confirmed, says WGS’ Mohammad Al-Gergawi
  • ‘Because the challenges of the future cannot be tackled alone’

DUBAI: This year’s World Government Summit will be the largest in the event’s history, said Mohammad Al-Gergawi, the WGS foundation’s chairman, on Friday.

Speaking at an event at the Museum of the Future, Al-Gergawi said 35 heads of state and government officials have confirmed their attendance, including Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and Switzerland’s President Guy Parmelin.

The WGS is an annual event held in Dubai which explores governance, and focuses on harnessing innovation and technology to solve universal challenges facing humanity.

Al-Gergawi said 24 side events would take place during the summit including forums on artificial intelligence, education, and sustainability.

Over 35 ministerial meetings are on the program including the Ministerial Roundtable with Arab Youth Ministers, Future of Tourism Roundtable, and Sustainable Development Goals Global Council Launch.

Al-Gergawi said four honors would be awarded during the summit, for best minister, most reformed government, sustainability, and best teacher.

He added that the world’s largest global gathering of Nobel laureates would take place during the summit.

“The World Laureate Summit aims to host a platform for laureates to present scientific solutions for problems governments are facing and will invite 50 laureates from various disciplines,” he explained.

Al-Gergawi said the WGS aims to play a key role in boosting collaboration between the private and public sectors.

“The success of the summit depends on the presence of governments, international organizations and the sector that shapes the future, the private sector,” he said.

“The success of the summit is directly linked to partnerships. Each partnership and initiative launched contributes to overcoming challenges in the future,” he added.

“The World Government Summit gathers everyone because the challenges of the future cannot be tackled alone,” Al-Gergawi said.

The summit takes place at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah from Feb. 3 to 5.