Aldar Khalil: democratic revolution is now at its peak

In a lengthy interview, member of the presidential body of the Democratic Union Party, Aldar Khalil, spoke to Sterk TV, about what is happening in Syria, the inauguration of Abu Muhammad al-Julani himself as president of Syria, and the attacks on NE Syria, especially the Tishreen Dam and the Qarqozaq Bridge. The popular resistance of the people of North and East Syria, the Kurdish dialogue, and the position of the Democratic Autonomous Administration towards the current Damascus authority.

Aldar Khalil explained in his speech: “There is now a great resistance on the Qereqozaqê Bridge and the Tishrin Dam. Since the fall of the Baath regime, we have been subjected to violent attacks, and our people are showing historic resistance in the face of these attacks, in order to protect themselves, their value, their land, their soil, and their dignity, not only the fighters but the people as well, and this resistance will turn into a model recorded in the pages of history,” and he saluted the resistance shown by the male and female fighters and the people who travel hundreds of kilometers in order to wage this resistance.

The correctness of 2011 approach

Aldar Khalil confirmed the correctness of their approach in evaluating the Syrian crisis from 2011 to the present day. He said: “We said at the time that the demonstrations that took place should not turn into a war against power. We also said that we would not become a party to the war against power. We stressed the necessity of bringing about a democratic revolution and building a new Syria, a democratic Syria. We also stressed that we would fight for the demands of the Syrian people.”

Aldar Khalil continued: “At that stage, some groups took the path of war against the authorities, and continued their work on this approach. After the opportunity arose as a result of the changes that occurred in the region, such as the Gaza and Lebanon war, the exposure of Hezbollah and Iran to successive strikes, the emergence of the Ukrainian war and the weakness of “Russia, in addition to Turkish intervention and the weakness of the Baathist regime, some regional powers directed Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham towards Damascus.”

Aldar Khalil explained that what drew attention is that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, when it entered Damascus, said: “The revolution is over.” Khalil asked in surprise: “How did the revolution end? We said in 2011 that their goal was only power, but some parties were telling us: "Why are you talking like this?”

He added: "They saw the fall of the People's Palace in their hands. They said, 'The revolution is over. How did the revolution end? Where is the new Syria? There was no change. The same name, the same mentality, and the regime is the same in a different color, to remove a centralized Syria, and there is no will of the rest of the people. According to them, revolution means that Bashar al-Assad will leave and another person will replace him, and this person’s name is Abu Muhammad al-Julani.”

Khalil explained that during Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s control of Damascus, there was a greater decline than there was during the Baathist regime, and he said: “The Baathist regime was oppressing us and denying our rights. During the regime’s time, the status of women was not the same as it is now, getting closer to the rest of the components is not the same as it is today. Today, the rights of all components are being undermined. There was a People’s Assembly and elections were held, even if they were formal. Even Bashar al-Assad was elected after the end of the presidential term. There were formal elections. This group arrived in Damascus and said the revolution is over and we will rule Syria. These groups follow the ideology of power in the hands of the strong, and the strong is the one who will manage everything.”

Khalil noted that those who held a conference in Damascus marginalized all political entities, forces and organizations present in Syria, and said: “The mercenary groups were gathered and held a conference. Is this how conferences take place? And what is worse than that they are all male. No woman attended the conference. They want a woman without will".

Khalil stressed: “It was supposed to form committees in order to hold a comprehensive national conference, and then form committees in order to draft a constitution, prepare for elections, form an interim government, set a period of time, and then appoint people to manage the stage, but all of this did not happen.”

Southern Syria and the Syrian coast derive their strength from presence of SDF

Aldar Khalil also touched on the insistence of some, led by the Damascus authority, on the need for the Syrian Democratic Forces to disarm, despite the presence of several other forces that still retain weapons. He said: "The main reason is that the Syrian Democratic Forces are not only military forces, but they have a political project, and this project is to democratize Syria and achieve the rights of all components. As long as the SDF exists, no one will be able to end the democratic project and impose its decisions on the people of NE Syria, even the people of Southern Syria and the Syrian coast derive their strength from the presence of the SDF. The Syrian Democratic Forces are the hope of all the Syrian people.”

Aldar Khalil pointed out the attacks launched against the Tishreen Dam, especially after some of the mercenary groups that were attacking the dam announced their joining the Damascus authority, and said: “This attack showed the filth of the war being waged against us, until the present time. Turkey has been responding to the questions that it was asked about the reasons for launching attacks against the Tishreen Dam with warplanes, and It was using the excuse of helping some groups that wanted to control the dam, even though its arguments were weak, as it was the one launching the attacks with intruding groups into Syria. Let us assume for the sake of argument that what you say is true; Now these groups have joined the Damascus authority. So, was the decision to launch attacks against the Tishreen Dam issued by the Al-Julani authority? So far, no statement has been issued in this regard. Turkey also says, “It is not me who is attacking. So who is attacking us? Is it the jinn who are attacking us?”

Khalil addressed the international and regional silence, as well as the silence of the international coalition, regarding the attacks on North and East Syria. He stated: "Meetings were held in Aqaba, Jordan, and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, resulting in a decision to halt all military actions in Syria. However, no one has complied with this decision. The attacks against us continue, and even those who convened the meetings have not issued any statement regarding the failure to implement their resolutions to stop hostilities."

Aldar Khalil continued: "We want those attacking us to come forward and openly admit it. In reality, it is the Turkish occupation state that is attacking. And we ask the Damascus government, which claims to seek the unity of Syrian territories: Why do you not demand Turkey’s withdrawal from Syrian lands? Tell Turkey to leave, and we Syrians will resolve our issues among ourselves."

A day will come when our people’s resistance is written in history

Khalil praised the stance of the people of North and East Syria, stating: "Rarely do we see a resistance like the one demonstrated by the people of North and East Syria throughout history. People travel hundreds of kilometers from the battlefront, take their cars, and head to protect their achievements, condemning the attacks, saying, ‘We will not allow you to take our dam.’ This stance is rare in history. We have read in history books about how the Vietnamese and Chinese peoples resisted. A day will come when our people's resistance is written in history. This resistance is unique because it is not fought by one ethnic group, sect, or religion alone, whether Christians, Muslims, Yazidis, Kurds, Arabs, or Syriacs. Instead, they all struggle and resist together."

Khalil emphasized that Syria, in its current state, is heading toward division, as a government is being formed under the control of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, excluding other communities. He explained: "In this case, Syria is moving towards division. The Druze will say, ‘A government has been established, but I am not included in it, so I am not Syrian.’ The Alawites will say the same. The Kurds are naturally being excluded. The Syriacs and Armenians will also face oppression and persecution because political Islam will dominate Syria. We must carefully examine what is happening in Syria. All Syrians must feel a sense of belonging within a new Syria, and this can only be achieved by ensuring that everyone’s will is taken into account within a democratic system."

Khalil refuted claims that the revolution has ended, stating: "The democratic revolution is now at its peak."

He also spoke about the Kurdish dialogue in North and East Syria, revealing: "I want to tell the truth, despite its bitterness. A meeting was held with political parties, figures, and forces. We agreed to hold a conference in Qamishlo to determine the Kurdish vision for Syria, focusing on two points: the solution to the Syrian crisis and resolving the Kurdish issue within Syria. We affirmed that those who go to Damascus should not be only Kurds but should include Arabs, Assyrians, and Syriacs. The delegation should represent the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, with Kurds among them, and the Kurdish vision should be unified. The conference was scheduled for January 16."

Khalil explained that before the conference was held, a representative of Masoud Barzani, Hamid Darbandi, visited Qamishlo and met with Mazloum Abdi. This led to an invitation for a meeting in Hawler, causing a natural postponement of the conference. If that meeting had not occurred, the conference would have taken place."

Khalil revealed: "After the meeting held in Hawler, delegations from the Kurdish National Council went to Hawler, and the preparatory committee decided to postpone the conference. After that, the Kurdish National Council did not attend the preparatory meeting. We do not know why. This meeting must be held."

National unity requires a clear position

Khalil pointed out that while some speak of national unity, they act based on emotions, which is insufficient. He stated: "We want to unify our vision, but obstacles must be removed. We must have a shared stance on the attacks Turkey is launching against our regions and the resistance of our people."

He emphasized the importance of the ongoing resistance in the region and asked those advocating for national unity: "Where is your position on the people's resistance? For example, are these attacks acts of occupation or not? Is the resistance in Tishrin a real resistance or not? Are the attacks by the Turkish occupation state acts of genocide, or do you consider them acts of liberation? Without unifying views on these issues, future meetings will be like previous ones. We must build on solid foundations for progress."

Khalil also addressed the position of the Kurdistan Democratic Party regarding Kurdish unity efforts, questioning: "Did Masoud Barzani support the resistance at Tishrin Dam? Did he, who has close ties with Erdogan, tell Turkey to stop its attacks on Tishrin Dam? Did Masrour Barzani say anything during his visit to Ankara? Did the Kurdistan Democratic Party issue any statements condemning the massacres our people are facing? Did they send condolences to the families of civilian martyrs at Tishrin Dam? The well-known Kurdish and international theater actor Bave Tayyar was martyred, did they offer their condolences to his family? When we talk about national unity, emotions alone are not enough; clear positions are required."

Finally, Khalil affirmed that the meetings being held in Imrali with leader Abdullah Ocalan would have positive repercussions on the entire region, particularly in North and East Syria.

Sh-S/A-H

ANHA