Palestinian researcher: Confronting neo-Ottomanism requires cooperation

 Demands continue to unify Arab and Kurdish efforts to confront common challenges and threats, most notably the expansionist Turkish plans.

 In this context, the researcher, Professor of Political Science at Al-Quds University, Dr. Ayman Al-Raqab, said: "It is very important that there be openness and cooperation between the Kurds and the Arabs, because it is an essential component of the region, and we invite them to cooperate mainly to give the Kurds a very large space to express themselves about their presence, culture and presence, especially since the Kurds do not present themselves for complete independence from the region.

 The professor of political science at Al-Quds University indicated, during an exclusive interview with our agency, that "there are Kurdish militant personalities who want to have a margin of rights, and this is their right because the Kurdish population is about 40 million in the four countries we talked about, and they also have the right to have freedom  the Kurds do not want complete independence, which ultimately represents the establishment of a special Kurdish entity, and they do not seek the establishment of an ethnic state in the region. On the contrary, they want to be part of the region, but with a large margin of their culture, language and aspirations.

 Al-Raqab stressed that "there are very big challenges, including the Turkish challenge, which seeks to expand in the Arab region," noting that "the Turkish forces are present in Iraq, Syria and several Arab countries. The main goal is Turkish or neo-Ottoman expansion that aims to establish Erdogan's empire.  We have no dispute with the Turkish people in return for there being no interference in Arab affairs, and there are rights that the Kurds in Turkey demand, and there is the leader Abdullah Ocalan who is still under arrest in Turkish prisons.”

 He added, "Therefore, openness to the Kurds is a very important thing in facing all these points, especially since the Kurds live on the borders of Syria and Iraq, and therefore, they are a very important front line. Therefore, they are subjected to a large number of arrests from Turkey."

 Al-Raqab pointed out that "openness and more dialogues and understanding of the conditions and demands of the Kurds will eventually lead to a state of Arab-Kurdish integration, and the dreams of the Kurds will become part of the dreams of the Arab region."

 A

 ANHA