A proposal has been submitted to Trump to appoint a special envoy for Kurdish affairs.
A proposal has been submitted to Trump to appoint a special envoy for Kurdish affairs.
2026-05-29
Shafaq News – Special Translation
The founder of the “American Friends of Kurdistan” organization, Deliman Abdulkadir, called on US President Donald Trump to appoint a special envoy for Kurdish affairs, considering this step necessary to provide a more comprehensive American vision towards the Kurds in Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran.
In an article published by the Middle East Forum , Abdul Qader wrote that American policy traditionally deals with the region’s issues through the governments of Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. However, the existence of a large and distinct Kurdish bloc within these countries, in his opinion, necessitates an independent approach that is not reduced to the calculations of American embassies and the priorities of the host governments.
Abdul Qader, a researcher in foreign policy and national security, believes that appointing a special envoy for Kurdish affairs would provide the White House and the State Department with “facts on the ground,” helping Washington to adjust its policies according to reality, rather than according to what is conveyed by the governments concerned or what is imposed by bilateral balances with them.
The article pointed out that the Kurds have historically remained closer to the United States at pivotal moments, from confronting Saddam Hussein’s regime, to assisting US forces after 2003, and then fighting alongside Washington in Iraq and Syria against ISIS.
Abdul Qadir also considered that the presence of an American consulate in Erbil is not enough to formulate an integrated Kurdish policy, because it remains linked to the framework of the American embassy in Baghdad, calling for an American position capable of looking at the Kurdish issue in a way that transcends borders, and away from the pressures of central governments.
The writer criticized Turkish policy towards the Kurds, saying that Ankara presents a positive image of its relationship with its Kurdish citizens, while Turkish prisons, as he described them, are filled with Kurdish detainees whom the government describes as “terrorists”.
He also believed that the presence of a special envoy might push the region’s governments to improve their human rights record by creating a “competition of facts” with Washington.
In a broader context, the article linked the call for the appointment of a special Kurdish envoy to regional transformations, particularly the tension with Iran, the future of Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and Turkey’s relationship with the United States within NATO, considering that strengthening the American-Kurdish alliance could give Washington a more stable and consistent policy in the Middle East.
The author concluded by saying that the special envoy will not be just an additional channel of communication, but a tool for rebuilding a more realistic American policy towards the Kurds and the countries in which they live, in a way that serves American security interests and reduces Washington’s complete dependence on the narratives of regional governments.
shafaq.com
