The Syrian government and Kurdish groups have coexisted mostly peacefully since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, when the government largely withdrew from the northeast region. That pullout was a bid to appease the minority group and prevent the Kurds from joining the burgeoning antigovernment uprising at the time.

“We are not asking for independence or to secede,” Elham Ahmed said, referring to the Kurdish north. “We are asking for pluralism and democracy and decentralization. We think this is the solution.”

“We are always looking for the political solution,” said Ms. Ahmad, who attended the first meeting in Damascus with Damascus officials. “We have never attacked the regime, so what excuse does the regime have to attack us?”

Reporter’s code: 50101