RIHA - Assessing the talks between the SDF and Damascus, journalist Özgür Avzem said the Syrian interim government is pushing for the SDF  to dissolve itself, while the Kurds are demanding constitutional guarantees for their language and identity. 

 

The agreement signed on January 29 between the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and Syria’s interim government has now been in place for six months. Since then, steps have been taken toward integration in areas ranging from education and healthcare to the judiciary, security and local administration. While disagreements have emerged at times, efforts continue to reach common ground through ongoing negotiations. As part of these efforts, SDF  General Commander Mazloum Abdi and Ilham Ahmed, Co-Chair of the Autonomous Administration’s Department of Foreign Relations, visited Damascus. The delegation met with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani for talks on the integration process.

 

Journalist Özgür Avzem, who has been closely following the integration process between Syria’s interim government and the SDF, said Syria had undergone rapid changes over the past year and a half. Avzem said: “The political equation being shaped in Syria, one of the most complex parts of the Middle East, has yet to fully emerge. The pieces have yet to fall into place.”

 

 

‘INTEGRATION IN SYRIA IS LINKED TO THE PROCESS IN TURKEY’

 

Highlighting the ongoing integration process in Syria, Avzem said “Undoubtedly, the Kurds have secured an important position in Syria’s political equation through the gains they have made in Rojava. We can say that the gains of the Kurdish people in Rojava are also playing a key role in other parts of the region. For instance, the Peace and Democratic Society Process currently underway in Turkey is closely linked to the process in Syria. What has happened here has helped clear an important hurdle and pave the way for the process in Turkey. Ultimately, the continuation of the process in Turkey and, eventually, a resolution to the Kurdish issue will have an impact all the region. It has become a factor that could deeply affect not only Syria, but also for Iran, Iraq and the wider Middle East. Therefore, it is important to assess the gains made in Rojava within a broader regional context. In other words, states are, to some extent, reliant on the Kurds’ geopolitical position and their influence in shaping the realities of the region. 

 

Avzem said it is known that the Kurds are the only dynamic force and actor with a political agenda in addressing social problems. He added: “If a lasting solution to Syria’s problems is to be achieved, the Kurds’ role within the state structure and their struggle for democratic integration are important.”

 

‘CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEES’

 

Referring to the SDF delegation’s visit to Damascus, Avzem said: “According to information we have received from our sources, the integration process in Syria is expected to accelerate and gain momentum in the coming days. This was one of the main issues discussed during the meeting. Al-Sharaa is putting strong pressure on the SDF’s armed structures and the Autonomous Administration’s civilian institutions to be rapidly incorporated into the state. In fact, he has been pressing for this at almost every meeting. Both Mazloum Abdi and Ilham Ahmed have responded to this pressure with a highly measured and political approach. The fact remains that the existence of the Kurds is still not recognized in the Syrian Constitution. In a Syria where Kurdish-language education and the Kurdish language itself are not recognized, it is inconceivable for either the SDF or the Autonomous Administration to dissolve itself. These vital issues, therefore, must be secured through constitutional and legal guarantees. They are fundamental to the Kurds’ existence.”

 

‘SDF AND AUTONOMOUS ADMINISTRATION MEETINGS PRODUCED POSITIVE OUTCOMES’

 

Avzem stressed that reports claiming the SDF was preparing to dissolve itself did not reflect reality and added:  “A week before the meeting in Damascus, SDF and Autonomous Administration officials held their own internal discussions on the integration process. They brought together their respective institutions and structures and reached a common position. Through a series of meetings within both the SDF and the Autonomous Administration, they also reached important conclusions on how a shared state system could function and how they should position themselves within that system. I would say the meetings produced very positive outcomes.”

 

MA / Ömer Akın