​​​​​​​Muslim assesses understanding with SRLM, approaches of Damascus and Moscow

 The Democratic Union Party and the Syrian Revolutionary Left Movement signed a memorandum of understanding on July 24, aimed at upgrading mechanisms of joint action and facing common challenges.

 How did this agreement happen?  What does it aim for?  Is there communication with other Syrian political parties and forces to continue building relations that benefit the country's future?  These and other questions we asked the co-chair of the Democratic Union Party, Salih Muslim, in an exclusive interview with our agency.

 Muslim also evaluated the statement of the Autonomous Administration’s Foreign Relations Department after it denied the existence of any political meetings with the Damascus government, and its intention to complete the dialogue. He also touched on the meeting that will be held in Sochi on August 5 between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who aspires to obtain  Green light from Russia to attack northern and eastern Syria.

'We wage a political struggle to deliver the voice of our cause and our project'

 Saleh Muslim explained that since the beginning of their party's founding in 2003, they have been waging a struggle to convey the voice of their cause and project as well as their determination to reach agreement and understanding with Syrian political parties, forces and personalities without discrimination.

 Muslim stated that in 2005 when the Damascus Declaration was established, "We wanted to be part of the declaration, but we were not accepted, and even accused that we, as Kurds, seek separation, with these flimsy arguments, we were not accepted at the time. In 2005 there were a lot of  political parties operate under the roof of the Muslim Brotherhood.

 It is noteworthy that the Damascus Declaration for National Democratic Change is a document signed by civil society figures as well as Syrian Islamists and liberals in 2005, calling for the end of 35 years of Assad family rule and its replacement with a democratic system.

 'We differed over policy and vision'

 Muslim added, "With the start of the Syrian revolution, we tried to reach an agreement and an understanding with some parties at the level of Syria. At the beginning of the revolution, the National Coordination Committee was established to unify the vision of the Syrians. The body included the competing and militant parties, and we were in the Union Party.  The Democrat is one of the first to join the commission, which was established in June 2011, which also included Left-wing and Right-wing parties fighting against the regime.

 Muslim pointed out that they differed with those parties about politics and the vision, and added: "They were demanding power, while we had a project to build a democratic Syria. The slogans that the Syrians demanded were adopted and we implemented them effectively."

 The National Coordination Body for Democratic Change includes Syrian opposition figures and political parties, which was established in June 2011, with the aim of unifying the opposition’s demands and seeking political dialogue and peaceful protests against the regime.  Dialogue with the Damascus government.

'Many are now convinced that our project is the most correct'

 Muslim touched on the attacks on Rojava, and said: "The mercenary groups began attacking our areas, yet we did not lose the compass of our third line. Many are now convinced that the path of our project is the most correct to get Syria out of the dark tunnel and build a democratic Syria."

 He added, "There is a lot of discussion about our project and our goals in building democratic Autonomous Administration, and this gave impetus and resonance, so some Syrian political parties try to approach our project. The document of understanding that we signed with the revolutionary left movement in Syria to confront common challenges is not the first agreement of its kind, as  we previously had understandings and agreements with parties inside and outside Syria as well."

 'This understanding is very important'

 Muslim noted that the understanding took place “after they saw our project on the ground. Previously, Syrian parties and currents visited the region, and this project has an important benefit not only for us, but for the entire Syrian geography.

 'The understanding will pave the way for other understandings'

 Saleh Muslim affirmed that the understanding that took place will pave the way for other parties and currents to reach an understanding and agreement with them, and added: "There are relations with other political parties who want understanding under the roof of the Syrian Democratic Council, in which we all participate as political parties. We hope in the future to come to terms with other movements and parties and include them to this process.

 'The regime still clings to its mentality and wants to protect its power'

 On the 29th of last July, the Department of Foreign Relations in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria denied the existence of any political meetings between them and the Damascus government, and affirmed its commitment to the principles of national dialogue in a manner that guarantees Syrian stability and understanding.

 On this, Saleh Muslim explained that "the regime is far from our demands for the democratization of Syria and the freedom of the Syrians. The regime is still clinging to its mentality. It does not want anything else, and when dialogue with a party, institution or personality, their policies are based on returning to their embrace."

 'The laws must be changed and a new constitution should be drawn up for the country'

 Muslim said, "The regime wants to go back to before 2011, and we say that the laws and domination of the regime were a reason for the start of the Syrian crisis, and in order not to return to that, a new regime must be built and agreed upon jointly, and it is a democratic Syria," stressing that "the laws must be changed and a new constitution should be drawn up."  The country is agreed upon by all.

 Muslim noted that "those who are in power in Damascus should be aware that we are part of Syria and we have to live together within this country. We do not have any obsession with changing the regime or replacing it with an alternative. On the contrary, we see mistakes that must be fixed."

'We will always try to build a democratic Syri

 And Muslim indicated that the Autonomous Administration went to Damascus many times, as well as to the Hmeimim base, and the Russians became mediators in those meetings to reach a common formula, but the regime adheres to its mentality, "But this does not mean that we will remain sitting in our homes,  We will always try to build a democratic Syria.

 'What was built has become a model in Syria'

 Muslim confirmed that what was built in north and east Syria has become an example for its implementation in Syria, "to look at Syria, what the residents of As-Suwayda are demanding? Isn't it the Autonomous Administration. The Syrian revolutionary leftist movement with whom we signed an understanding also wants that."

 On July 19, in parallel with the 10th anniversary of the start of the Rojava revolution, the trio of deals (Iran, Russia, Turkey) held a summit in Tehran to discuss several files, foremost of which is the Syrian file, so that the Turkish occupation state seeks to obtain the green light from Russia to attack areas of north and east Syria.

 Erdogan is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, on August 5, in the resort of Sochi, to discuss regional problems and bilateral relations.

 'Turkey does not want any political solution to the Syrian crisis'

 Regarding the Turkish threats, Saleh Muslim explained that the fascist Turkish state headed the leadership of the Middle East and Syria plan in cooperation with international powers, and said: “Since 2012, it (Turkey) has rejected proposals to solve the Syrian crisis. It does not want any political solution to the crisis in Syria, either.  That the solution be put in accordance with their plans, or the solution will not be achieved. The issues clashed until they supported the mercenary groups and established ISIS, so that the genocide of the Kurds was put in the foreground."

 Muslim added, "At the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the Russians were not present. They came to Syria in 2015 to protect the Syrian regime."

 'Turkey's policy is based on blackmail and exploitation'

 Muslim noted that Russia, America, Europe and everyone know what the Turkish plans are and are now aware of its scheme, which is difficult to implement in the region.  We have seen how Europe is blackmailed with the issue of Sweden and Finland, whose policies are based on blackmail and exploitation."

 He pointed out that "Russia has an influential decision on the Syrian crisis, so Turkey wants to resolve the outstanding issues with it. Previously, they held the Astana and Sochi meetings, as well as the Constitutional Committee. There were meetings about the crisis, the Ukrainian war, and how to get wheat out."

 'Turkey is ready to give up all files so that the Kurds do not build any entity for them'

Muslim stressed that the Kurdish question in Syria is the main pillar of Turkish policies, as it can abandon all files and concede them to others in order that the Kurds do not build any entity for them. He said: “He made himself an enemy of the world, because they recognized the struggle  the Kurds."

 Regarding the meeting scheduled to be held in Sochi, Muslim noted that there will be important and deep discussions, more important than the issue of the Turkish attack, because the Russians know how heavy this issue is.

 'We hope Russia will not make any concessions to Turkey'

 He pointed out that "it is not easy for the Russians to leave the Kurds so easily, in history there were historical relations between Russia and the Kurdish people," and before Russia entered the line of the Syrian crisis, we had meetings with them, so that they agreed with our project and wanted to mediate to resolve the crisis.

 Muslim added: "We hope that Russia will not make any concessions on issues related to our regions, and I do not think that this will be done."

 Russia withdrew from its bases in Afrin prior to the Turkish occupation attack on it in 2018, and the role of the Soviet Union was prominent in the fall of the Republic of Mahabad in 1946, when the armies of Shah Muhammad Reza invaded it with the consent of the English and the Americans, after the withdrawal of the Soviet Red Army from it, and the republic fell.

 “Turkey will not be able to take any action if it closes the region’s airspace.”

 On June 28, 23 political parties, including the Democratic Union Party, demanded a no-fly zone in northern and eastern Syria. About this, Muslim said: "The international coalition and Russia control the skies of the region. The Russian influence includes Aleppo and its surrounding areas, while the area extending from Kobani  to Dêrik, back to the International Coalition.

 Muslim stressed that if the airspace of the region is closed, "Turkey will not be able to take any action, because it will clash with the preparations of our people on the ground, who are preparing for a possible war according to a revolutionary perspective to defend themselves."

 He added, "We hope that Russia will not make any concessions to Turkey as before, so that it tells them to go ahead and bomb whatever you want, they should not do that."

 'We did not return anyone and defend ourselves'

 At the conclusion of his speech, the co-chair of the Democratic Union Party, Saleh Muslim, stressed that they are continuing the struggle, and said: "We have not been hostile to anyone, from the beginning, we defend ourselves according to the right of legitimate defense. We have also not allyed with anyone to come and protect us. There were attacks targeting  our lands, we protected and defended ourselves, and this matter will continue, so we hope that the forces inside Syria will understand what we want and aspire to achieve, as well as the international forces.”

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 ANHA