Urgent: Our sources in Sheikh Maqsoud report:

Sheikh Maqsoud: A mobile checkpoint has been set up on the railway tracks. Young men's phones are being searched. Please be careful.

Barzani Discusses the Situation in Syria and Regional Cooperation with Jolani

The President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani, met today, Friday, April 17, 2026, with the head of the Syrian Interim Government, Jolani, on the sidelines of his participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

During the meeting, President Barzani expressed his appreciation for the ongoing efforts of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to consolidate stability in Syria, praising the tangible progress achieved in implementing the agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), describing it as an important step towards strengthening civil peace.

The meeting also addressed ways to enhance the shared ties between Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and Syria. Both sides emphasized the importance of developing trilateral cooperation to serve common security and economic objectives and contribute to strengthening regional stability and prosperity.

A drone targeted the Jajnikan area, bombing a Peshmerga house belonging to the Democratic Party.

The attack resulted in the martyrdom of three Peshmerga fighters.

Hasakah Governor Nureddin Ahmed:

- The road between Hasakah and Aleppo will be opened for the people of Afrin who wish to return to their cities without the need for convoys.

- The Semalka Border Crossing will be operated under the new system.
- The integration process is progressing well.

Theft and looting are on the rise in Raqqa, which is under the control of the interim Damascus government.

A citizen was shocked to find his shop robbed when he opened it this morning in the city of Raqqa.
Where is the safety and security?

ISIS attacked a member of the security forces affiliated with the Damascus government and an oil tanker in the countryside of Deir Ezzor.

ISIS announced in a statement today that they had attacked a member of the interim government's security forces and an oil tanker in the countryside of Deir Ezzor.

The statement shared on ISIS websites said: "A member of the Syrian security forces was targeted with two silent shotgun bullets in front of his house in the city of Bukamal and was injured." According to another statement by the gangs, an oil tanker was attacked on the main road near the town of Makman in northern Deir Ezzor, resulting in damage to the tanker and spilling oil.

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Tom Barack;

This region only respects power

These words, you know… as they say, “one sentence gives everything away”—and we’re exactly facing such a situation. What’s said might seem like diplomacy at first glance, but with a little closer attention, it’s clearly not diplomatic language. This is more like a system revealing itself.

When it’s said, “This region only respects power,” what’s actually meant to be conveyed is crystal clear. This statement openly reveals that the will of the people, democracy, and freedom are being pushed to the back burner. What’s truly at stake here is that whoever is stronger, whoever is tougher, and whoever can exert more control—their word will carry the day. In other words, it’s not a mindset centered on the human being, but one that places power at the center.

In the continuation of his speech, Tom Barack, by using the concept of “benevolent monarchy,” is engaging in a classic Orientalist imposition.

In truth, expressions like “benevolent monarchy” lay bare the contradictions in this approach. The structure we call monarchy is a form of governance that the people do not choose, that is unaccountable, and that makes decisions from the top down. Calling it “benevolent” is akin to calling a cage a “freedom zone.” The words may have been softened, but the content remains unchanged. Tom Barack's narrative, developed through the example of Syria, also fits into a similar framework. When it is said that "the system works because of a strong leader," what is actually meant is not the healthy functioning of an order; it is the stabilization of repression, the silencing of people, and the control of crises. This is not a state of peace, but a state of tension kept under control.

A demonstration by residents of Jabal Sheikh Aqil in the city of Al-Bab, Aleppo countryside, demanding the return of their 400 homes, which were seized by Turkish forces who refuse to leave.

The residents also demanded the removal of the base and compensation for the affected residents.