BEIRUT: The Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria have struck a deal with the central government on running a key dam they captured from extremists with US support, a Kurdish source said Thursday.
“An agreement has been reached between the autonomous administration and the Syrian government for the management of the Tishrin Dam” on the Euphrates River, the source told AFP.
Under the agreement, Kurdish-led fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces will pull back from the dam which they captured from the Daesh group in late 2015, the source said.
Fighters loyal to the new Islamist-led government in Damascus established after the December overthrow of longtime strongman Bashar Assad will take over security and a joint administration will run the dam.
The dam is one of several on the Euphrates and its tributaries in Syria that play a key role in the nation’s economy by providing it with water for irrigation and hydro-electric power.
It was a key battleground in the civil war that broke out in 2011, falling first to rebels and then to IS before being captured by the SDF.
Days after Assad’s overthrow, it was targeted by Turkish drone strikes that killed dozens of civilians, Kurdish officials and Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The Kurdish source said the dam deal was the latest step in implementing a March agreement with Damascus to integrate the institutions of the autonomous Kurdish administration into those of the central government.
The deal already saw Kurdish fighters withdraw from two Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of the main northern city of Aleppo earlier this month.
It has also seen a reduction in the presence of pro-Turkiye fighters in the historically Kurdish-majority northwestern region of Afrin.
There was no immediate word from the Damascus government on the dam deal.
The Observatory said the new joint committee would supervise the necessary repairs to the dam.
It said some Kurdish security agents would take part in the new security teams for the dam, alongside agents of the central government.
Syria Kurds say struck deal with Damascus on battleground dam
https://arab.news/z6t87
Syria Kurds say struck deal with Damascus on battleground dam
- Kurdish-led fighters of the SDF will pull back from the Tishrin Dam
- Dam is one of several on the Euphrates that play a key role in Syria’s economy
Iranian FM calls Qatari counterpart ahead of nuclear talks
- Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani reiterated Qatar’s support for all efforts to reduce tensions
- Regional powers have pushed for talks scheduled for Friday in Oman between Iran, US
LONDON: Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received a telephone call from his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Wednesday.
The call focused on deescalation efforts in the region, according to Qatar News Agency.
Sheikh Mohammed reiterated Qatar’s support for all efforts to reduce tensions and pursue peaceful solutions that enhance regional security and stability, QNA reported.
He highlighted the importance of collective action to protect the region’s people from the consequences of escalation and to pursue diplomatic solutions.
Regional powers have pushed for talks, scheduled for Friday in Oman, between Iran and the US to reach an agreement regarding Tehran’s nuclear program and prevent another escalation in the region.
Qatar and Iran share a maritime border in the Arab Gulf and the world’s largest natural gas field, the South Pars/North Dome Field.
