Al-Qatfan: Let Syrian patriotic conscience be a basis for us

NEWS DESK

Hawar news agency (ANHA) interviewed with head of Future Syria Party Ibrahim al-Qatfan about the purpose of the Syrian Democratic Party and a map of his way to resolve the Syrian crisis.

The following is the text of the interview

After launching of the Syrian revolution, many political parties were formed, you as Future Syrian Party, why did not you join one of the existing parties, and you formed a new party, and what is the purpose of forming your party?

Most of the parties in Syria were affiliated to certain parties and there were no free parties defending the national concept in Syria. After of the events in Syria started, several national and religious parties were established, in fact, the region lacked national Syrian parties. Here I note that we do not question the patriotism of some parties, but the path of those parties has affected their character.

Our approach in the Future Syria Party is patriotic. We have no foreign agenda. In addition to establishing a sense of belonging and acceptance of all nationalities in Syria, the main reason for establishing the party was to move to new stage after liberating al-Raqqa from Islamic Sate's gangs. The party has been founded in al-Raqqa city which had previously been taken as capital to IS gangs. We say that we are a national Syrian party that has no agenda except patriotism and citizenship. The party has a special approach and it took it upon itself to march to safety after years of depletion. The political conflict within the political salons and not to bear the people of Syria the bill of these conflicts.

What were the discussions at the founding conference of the party, and what are the points that you put forward?

The party was founded by demand of the Syrian people where the main axes of the party are pluralism, decentralization and democracy. The party's principles are based on several points, the most important of which is Syrian citizenship, while maintaining respect for other nationalities.

Immediately after party’s establishment, some parties have accused you of acting for the benefit of foreign countries or loyal to some side. What is the validity of these allegations?

"We want the facts, Yildrim said after the party was founded several hours ago that Future Syria Party is the other side of the Democratic Union Party. Others say we are affiliated with America. The truth is what we will prove on the ground. We will prove that we are working before we say, and we will see in the end who serves the Syrians. I repeat that we do not betray anyone in Syria. We rely on a policy of good faith and not abuse, because goodwill is unifies the Syrians while abuse, doubt and throwing deadly arrows is what prolongs the Syrian crisis, we do not want to throw arrows, we will see in the coming period that our party is working for the benefit of the Syrian people.

The founding conference of the Future Syria Party embraced many personalities from the Syrian regions, as a first step after the announcement of the establishment of the party. What was the goal and did you manage to reach it?

Any political party must have a program and this program is accomplished within a year or months. The most important thing is that there is a program. We are really after our meeting with the masses and the party blocs that are inside the Syrian and our contact with our Syrian people and our children in the Diaspora there was a great response, everyone looked to Future Syria party as a lifeline for all Syrians. The difference in views is normal thing, but it is important to intersect at points that serve the interest of the people, so we can discuss all points and differences.

Your party held several public meetings in North Syria’s regions, what is the position of the people of the party and what was the most important questions you were asked?

Yes, we held several public meetings in North Syria's regions. The aim was to introduce the Syrian society to Future Syria Party and its purpose, and to listen to the opinions and suggestions of the people. The questions raised in all meetings were in terms of safety and security and questioned the possibility of Future Syria Party to move Syria towards safety and be an incubator for all Syrians and whether the party will achieve what the Syrians require and assured them we can make great achievements.

Where did Future Syria party relations reach, both at home and abroad?

Yes, we have many relations with the Syrian interior and everyone knows that the number of meetings with the parties in the northeast of Syria has reached 18 meetings and even exceeded that and the goal was to create a democratic front. As for our relationship with our children abroad, everyone also knows that a few days ago, a British delegation from Renewal Movement visited us and we also communicate with some political forces in America and Europe and everyone is communicating with us because the vision of Future Syria Party is a national vision seeking peace and security in Syria.

After the success of the first phase, which included the establishment of the party and the meeting with the people of northern Syria and political parties, what is the second step of Future Syria Party?

We look as a party always to the projects as a building and foundation phase has always been a success, so will be other stages and we will soon have large projects, including communication with the Syrian interior and we have members of the Syrian inside the areas controlled by the regime and we have many members inside the Syrian interior and we cannot disclose some of the names for security reasons, but we will open our offices and converge with all the Syrians. We will not be confined to North Syria, but all Syria will be an incubator for us as well as the countries of the world will be our incubator because any Syrian person in any country will be send the slogan of Future Syria Party which has a program, it accepts criticism and self-criticism.

Where is Future Syria party of agreements and its position on the policies imposed on the Syrian arena in the midst of developments and changes in Syria?

At the beginning of the Syrian revolution, the subject was an intra-Syrian, and then turned into a regional Syria; afterwards, it became an international issue. I do not want to say that the Syrian file came out of the hands of the Syrians. When there is a conference in any country, they would bring the Syrians there to claim that the Syrians are interlocutors among them, we must be aware of the interests of the countries but not at the expense of the interest of the Syrian people. We have mentioned at our constituent conference that we have no problem to intersect with the regional or the great states provided that it is not as it happened with the factions of the Euphrates Shield, because after the intersection of the interests of these factions with foreign powers occupied Afrin city. Future Syria Party would intersect with countries to serve the Syrian people, not at the expense of the Syrians, but for the Syrians.

What is your approach as Future Syria Party to resolve the crisis in the Syrian regions?

Many revolutions and crises have emerged and ended with a solution. We do not wish this to last for decades. What the Future Syria Party undertakes is to shorten the bleeding and shorten the time of bloodshed, and this is what we call for through our relations with our children inside Syria.

In your opinion, what is the reason for prolonging the Syrian crisis and deepening it?

The reason for prolonging the life of the Syrian crisis is the Syrian regime itself. There were no parties that defended and transferred the real vision to the regime. The regime did not see the Syrians as Syrians and it allied with foreign regimes at the expense of the Syrian people’s interests, but the democratic systems are those who emerge among the people, but the Syrian regime was a monarchical system and the authority was transformed from father to son.

Everybody knows that Syria has become al-Assad's, it is no longer the free democratic pluralist Syria. Syria has become a narrow farm that guarantees the family of Assad, as if the country belongs to one family, knowing that Syria is for its people.

There are meetings held abroad in Syria, such as Geneva and Astana, and there are preparations for writing a new constitution for Syria. You, as Future Syria Party, do you have participation in any of these meetings, have you been invited to these meetings and what did you envisage writing a new constitution for Syria?

We have always believed that Syria is united from al-Bu-Kamal to Damascus from the south to the north of Syria, then, any conference held by the marginalization of one third of Syria. It is an incomplete conference, and this baby which will come to life to establish the constitution is incomplete since the result will be a deficient constitution. Russia, Iran and Turkey are trying to write a new constitution for Syria in the presence of 50 figures from the opposition and others from the regime. It will be incomplete if we do not participate. In the coming stages, we will continue and present our project or constitution to the future and will play an important role in the future.

Turkey is overtly now entering Syrian territory and has managed to occupy several areas in the Syrian north and today again threatens to enter Manbij city. How do you view this Turkish invasion of Syrian territory, in your opinion, what is the reason Turkey intervened militarily in Syrian territory?

We hoped that Turkey would maintain a good neighborhood and respect the good neighborhood. Unfortunately, it was thinking 400 years ago of occupying the region and intervening through the exploitation of some Syrians, not its own soldiers. Afrin was a safe town and a model of co-existence and received more than half a million displaced from the Syrian regions.

After the liberation Manbij city from Islamic State's gangs by virtue of Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) fighters and after the people have known democracy and the meaning of civil administrations, Turkey cannot enter Manbij and appeal to all the people of Manbij in the Turkish areas to return to their country and share the people of the city and the departments of the city and the military "Let's participate to build our Manbij city, to build Syria and move away from foreign agendas."

A final word to the people of Syria

Let the Syrian patriotic conscience be the basis for us and for all Syrians to strive for the homeland and to exercise all its patriotism provided that it does not tear this country apart and also practices its patriotism, provided that it does not marginalize the nationality or religion of the other. The most important thing is that we reach a solution through our dialogue and make our children live without fear or terror from the barrels of murder or blackening of IS gangs the terror of the Euphrates Shield or the national blocs the homeland of a homeland and a homeland is Syria.

(T/S)

ANHA