Khalil answers concerned Syrians worries with regard to latest understandings among Kurdish parties

Reportaj Summay

20 June, 2020 21:31

Aldar Khalil said that what the Kurdish parties reached in Syria is a preliminary understanding, after it became clear that there is no difference in political views among the Kurdish people. He noted that the wrong perception about the parties ratio in the Duhok Agreement, which was the base for the new Kurdish understands, this ratio is related to the Kurds themselves, it is not at the expense of the other components.

Many questions have come to the minds of the Syrians after the PYNK and the Kurdish National Council in Syria ENKS announced on June 17^th that they had reached a binding common political vision and initial understandings with regard to the Kurdish people in Syria.

The Syrian Kurdish understandings were met with many attempts to distort the image of them and sparked a kind of resentment among some parties, which claimed that it was an attempt to secede or dominate the region administration and betrayed the Kurds.

To find out the most important details between the participating parties, our agency ANHA conducted a lengthy dialogue with a member of the presidency of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), and a member of the delegation of the Kurdish National Unity Parties, Aldar Khalil.

The text of the interview read:

The understandings that you have reached represent a unified political vision about the position of the Kurds, what are the most important points of this vision?

Above all, we should comment on some important matters, as you know in the beginning, the talks took place between the PYD and ENKS and were not between the Kurdish National Unity Parties. They were about a joint political vision in Syria and the future of Syria, the solution of the crisis, the Kurdish Cause, and stance of the opposition, the occupied territories. Since that time, the parties have agreed on a political draft.

We did not sign that draft nor did it turn into an agreement, as there was no disagreement about the Kurdish position on the Syrian crisis, and from the future Syria, but rather remained a preliminary step on an agreement on the political vision. Later, the Kurdish National Unity parties joined to talks and there was no difference about the vision reached by both the PYD and ENKS. As for the other details, which may conflict with the vision of any party, they will be discussed in the next stage when dealing with the minute details.

What we have reached is a preliminary understanding on the main principles. Some points may need to be discussed. So it will remain in the same form, but if there is disagreement in some details, this needs time and re-discussion.

There is unanimous on a common political vision, in the next stage, we are going to discuss the details, I can now call it a basis for the next stage.

What is the political vision of the two sides regarding the future of Syria?

Because no order has been signed yet, there are fears that talking or giving information may affect our future conversations and dialogues, so I apologize for discussing it accurately, but in general, we aspire a multi-democratic, decentralization Syria. When we reach an agreement, it will be officially announced to the public, I think so is better.
In the same context, what is the position of the Kurds in the recent political vision of the Syrian government, the Syrian coalition, and Turkey?

Turkey, for example, is a neighbor, but It occupied Afrin, Azaz, Al-Bab, Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî. Now if it is given the opportunity, it will occupy more lands.Turkish fact is known, clear and known to everyone, and it is not hidden from anyone, and I do not think that any Kurd thinks out of this context.

As for the Syrian government, it is a tyrannical and central government. There was no law for parties, and no freedom in establishing a party. Or issuing a political newspaper or magazine, or reciting a poem. The truth of the regime is known to all, and if the regime had little democracy and worked on some reforms since 2011, Syria would not have been destroyed like this. What I mentioned are facts. They will be within the vision.
Regarding the opposition, We want an opposition far from ISIS, not extremist and political Islam, democratic opposition, unconventional to others and components, not a chauvinist, that would like to take the country back, and has more backward mentality than the mentality of the Syrian government. No doubt you cannot work with it.

We always demand a democratic opposition that guarantees the rights of the Kurdish people. Today, they deny our existence, when we demand our rights, it does not divide Syria. We like to enjoy our life like all regions of Lattakia, Tartous, Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, and Hama, and all Syrian regions. So what is the harm in that?

But the important thing is to keep our people identity. basically any party that does not agree on these principles, cannot establish its unity, and I do not think they will be an obstacle and a problem.

The 2014 Duhok Agreement was considered a basis for continuing the ongoing dialogue and negotiations. What did the Duhok Agreement states in detail?

6 years have passed on the Duhok Agreement, as the conditions that time in Rojava were different from the current stage, despite that we we must take the Duhok Agreement as a basis for future understanding, because it was between the Kurdish forces themselves, to solve Kurdish problems, and to reach a unified position as Kurds. We agreed to establish a Kurdish political reference in Rojava to represent the Kurds, in elections, government, parliament, institution, or in negotiating with the regime or in change in Syria writing the Syrian constitution, to guarantee and defines the Kurdish position and preserves its rights.

Today, if we can rely on the Duhok Agreement, and unify the forces and positions in Geneva and the Syrian constitution, the solution in Syria, negotiation with the regime, resistance in the face of the occupation, or solve the problems of the Kurdish people in region, or in elections or administration, ". Of course, it must unite positions and ranks, to agree and work together.

At the time being: We have the Autonomous Administration that includes the Kurds, the Arabs, the Assyrians. We cannot take a decision on our own just as we previously resisted the oppression, so we should not really do that again with the other components." , we must act as partners in everything, then, we will be more powerful, as a result of unity of rank, position, plans, and decisions.

Our Arab brothers and Syriac in the administration will be notified about the decisions and visions that we Kurds have come to regarding the region, for example "There is a proposal in the Duhok Agreement to amend the social contract that was written in the year 2014 of the AA. The political reference will propose amendment on some articles concerning the Syriac and Arabs to take part in the amendment and reach the desired agreements among the components of the region.

We will enter these elections together, so that we have representatives in parliament or councils with one position, and with one voice without dividing our Kurdish votes, or when representing the Kurds in Geneva, then we will sit and appoint our representatives in the forum, To speak up and represent all of us there and negotiate with us, we announce that the specific people represent us all in that forum.

There are many other matters discussed during our meeting in Duhok 2014, including the topic of protection, defense and the military side. It was suggested at that time that a committee be formed from both sides to review the military leadership in the region to discuss military matters and make suggestions, because the political delegation cannot speak instead of the military side. You know after the last statement that we issued, we haven't sat yet, and we haven't started the next stage, and I don't know whether or not this topic will be discussed? Or these matters will be discussed or not, I do not know, I am talking about the 2014 Duhok Agreement, but yesterday we said that the Duhok agreement will be a focal point and a structure in which we will seek to work on some things.

Six years have passed since the Duhok Agreement, and many changes have occurred in the region during this period. Will the terms of the agreement be discussed as they are, or will there be an amendment to them, according to the current stage?

Without a doubt, we think about this and our brothers in ENKS also know very well that the situation six years ago was not as it is now, 2014 is different from 2020. We say it frankly, at that time there were no SDF, there were only the People Protection Forces (YPG) and the Women Protection Forces (YPJ). The situation of the Autonomous Administration and Afrin was not as it is now, Manbij, al-Tabqa, al-Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor were not liberated, and even the areas between al-Jazeera region and Kobane were under the control of ISIS.

In many matters, there is a lot of change, so we say that we are taking from the Duhok agreement a basis, and we do not say that it will be as it was a hundred percent. The agreement at that time was like that, but in the next stage in the talks and dialogue, we may discuss according to proposals on these matters and talk for them.

Representing the two parties in this reference according to a percentage, will this reference be empowered to make decisions about the Kurds only in the Autonomous Administration, or take decisions about the Autonomous Administration as described?

The Duhok Agreement of 2014 published its content and percentage in all media outlets and everywhere. The percentage of Kurdish participation in it was between 40% for the Democratic Society Movement, 40% for ENKS and 20% for the Kurdish parties and political blocs not involved in the two frameworks, and these percentages will become representative of the Kurds to express the Kurdish political or military and social vision in the name of the Kurds in the region.

I also followed in the media outlets and social media this perception, and erroneous analyses about the percentages set since the Duhok Agreement 2014, I noticed that everyone imagines that there will be an agreement between the two parties to share everything that exists from management and others, the two parties will manage the region, and the rest of the parties will remain outside.

It is not like that, until now such matters have not been discussed and will not be tomorrow or after. I do not know yet what matters will be discussed, I do not know what ENKS attends to the next stage of the draft discussion, and I cannot talk about that, but I can say that the percentage determined in Duhok 2014 may change with the stage, and it may remain the same.

Only whatever the percentage is, this percentage is within the framework of the Kurdish-Kurdish agreement and the Kurdish representatives. Our Arab brothers and the Syriacs should be certain and should know that this ratio is not to share everything in Rojava because everyone is involved in the institutions, unions and administrations formed in the region, and it is not our right because we believe in democracy, and that resorting to sharing institutions is incompatible with the social contract for the Autonomous Administration.

Therefore, we must be aware that understanding is sharing everything existed because we have major principles that we are looking for in addition to the unity of our Kurdish rank, which is obtaining the rights of our people and solving their problems and their cause without being at the expense of other components, and because we do not seek as others seek to keep them at our expense, we strive to be and others be as well, and to be free with us.

To prove that you are free, you have to make those who live beside you live freely, and to give our freedom its true meaning. It is necessary to protect the freedom of those who live with us, and to guarantee their rights to administration and institutions.

The second item in the Duhok Agreement provides for a discussion of the existing Autonomous Administration and how ENKS is represented within it, how this will happen, especially after it was previously 3 cantons, and today it has turned into an Autonomous Administration for North and East Syria which has many other civil councils "Manbij, al-Tabqa, al-Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor"?

Above all, the percentage method will not be, we did not come to share a cake or money that has no owners, we are in a revolution, we have resistant people. Our people sacrificed thousands of martyrs, live in difficult conditions that cannot be described, suffered, displaced, and their homes were demolished and occupied. We are ashamed to talk with such terms, the term sharing or quotas, and that we will share according to the ratio. This matter does not comply with the politics standards.

An example: Whoever wants to be a representative in the Autonomous Administration must reach that by resorting to the foundations, charters, global systems and standards of democracy, namely elections. We, the Kurds, can agree to unify our ranks to unify our percentage in the Autonomous Administration allocated to the Kurds without affecting the percentage of other ingredients representation.

The third item was protection and defense, and how do ENKS' military forces if any to defend the region, how will this matter be in the future in your opinion?

It is too early to refer to the military section, but there are general principles, and in the general principles of any state and in order to be able to protect itself and maintain its strength and resilience, it must have one military force, and if it becomes two troops, this means that it opens the way to an internal conflict that may arise.

From a political and intellectual point of view, diversity and abundance are good and enrich the vision, but in the military section, it is not so, and the unity of force must be preserved, so if we reach an agreement, our brothers should be vigilant about this because they want to participate in the system present in the region, and their interest is to protect the system, and it is necessary to work together to remain a single force.

Some political, military and regional parties describe this agreement as an attempt to secede and control the region and marginalize the role of others at the expense of other components, the most recent of which are Turkey's statements, how will the impact of this agreement be in the region, in the future of Syria and in resolving the Syrian crisis?

Above all, we are living in Syria, and we are Syrian citizens, but Kurds, Syrian Kurds, and we are at home and working to plan for our path, our future, our country's future, and our rights. We, the troops that exist in this country agree, and whether we agree or disagree, this is our matter. As for Turkey, it is an occupying country.

Division is what Turkey is doing; the occupation of Afrin, Jarabulus, al-Bab, Azaz, Girê Spî and Serêkaniyê, linking them to Turkey, the establishment of the separation wall, the extension of the borders within the Syrian lands, the imposition of its currency, teaching the Turkish language, its Turkish rule, and the work on demographic change and the deduction of the Syrian lands. This is the separation, and it says that it maintains the Syrian unity.

We are in Syria, and although the agreement is Kurdish, it has deficiencies, but we will still discuss internally on the Syrian soil because we want to preserve the rights of our people, we propose a democratic system for the whole of Syria, and we will not divide and separate any part of the land from Syria.

As for Turkey, it has cut off the Syrian territory in its favor and divide it, and it is working on division because it is the most side working to divide the Syrian opposition forces, and it has affected the solution of the Syrian crisis and deepened the crisis, so we do not have any plans or endeavors to divide Syria and separate it, but with all confirmation and without doubt, we demand our rights, and this is different from what Turkey is working on.

Undoubtedly, the understanding among the Kurds, the agreement, and the unity of the Kurdish ranks will help in resolving the Syrian crisis because in the event of agreement, stability in the region and the formation of a democratic system and a gradual development, that will affect Syria in general, and the Syrian opposition itself, and will encourage the democratic parties, but it may not be accepted by some chauvinistic parties because they are against democracy, while those who aspire to a democratic system are those who will rejoice for this step, considering it a force, and when there is any attempt to march towards the solution, we will support to become stronger because with support, the strength of those parties will multiply.

Is the delegation of the Kurdish National Unity Parties optimistic about the future of the dialogue and negotiation between the two sides after a series of previous agreements that were doomed to failure, and why optimism?

Always in all attempts there are difficulties and obstacles, there are some influencing factors positive and negative, and there are some things that support and others that work to fail, but we must not be pessimistic, rather, we must be optimistic, and not to give away hope, and if we had no hope in these talks, we would not have agreed to start them.

We always hope the other side will strengthen its hopes to preserve our hope together, and to search for the main issues in the agreement. Here, I cannot say that all things are going well, and we both agree on them because it is not so, there are many points of view on which we both do not agree, and they will be on the table for dialogue and discussion. This does not mean that we are enemies, but rather there are different points of view and way of thinking.

In addition, there are many compatible points of view which we agree on together. We can currently work on matters agreed upon by our views, and work on other matters gradually because all our endeavors in the framework of reaching solutions may require time.

Our hope is to achieve what our people seek, to be worthy of their trust, and all that we offer is to share it with our people in what is going on between the two parties, so that it will not affect events, and we should not hide anything on our people. Until now and according to the capabilities, we have been able to share information with our people, and in the next stages, and when necessary we will inform our people of additional information or what we have reached, and we will share it.

(A / D.H)

ANHA