President Masoud Barzani as a Kurdish National Reference: Political Influence and Mediation Efforts in Western Kurdistan (Rojava)

Abstract

As the crisis in Syria has continued since 2011, it has become a leading political and strategic region in the Middle East, Western Kurdistan (Rojava). This paper analyses the contribution of the Kurdish politician, President Masoud Barzani to the formation of the political agenda of Syrian Kurdistan based on the diplomatic activities, mediation efforts, and Kurdish political pluralism of the Kurdish people. It emphasizes the attempts of Barzani to unify Kurdish forces through the major compromises like Erbil (2012) and Duhok (2014), and his consistent intervention in Kurdish political balance amid the conflicts in the region and international interferences. The paper finds that Barzani is a key Kurdish political interlocutor in the Rojava situation, mainly, due to his political legitimacy and extensive regional and international diplomatic networks, President Masoud Barzani has long been regarded as a central reference point of Kurdish nationalism, representing a historical and political legitimacy that continues to shape Kurdish strategic thinking across the region and skill to survive among complicated geopolitical demands.