Lecture affirms that democratic integration is path to partnership, not assimilation

The Democratic Union Party (PYD) held a lecture on Tuesday at Rojava University on democratic integration and the latest political developments. The lecture was delivered by the co-chair of the Democratic Union Party, Gharib Hesso, and the co-chair of the party's Foreign Relations Office, Sema Bakdash, and was attended by the university professors and students.

At the beginning of the lecture, Hesso emphasized that the Middle East is undergoing significant change, and this change is also occurring in Syria and Rojava. He considered it a very important change, particularly for the new generation, students, and youth.

Hesso pointed out that universities are the cornerstone of societies, shaping their form, as they are the foundation upon which society's future is built.

Hesso addressed the current developments in the region and the Middle East, saying, "A revolution took place in Rojava, and this revolution has not ended, but rather moved to another stage; it is in a transitional phase. Syria, Turkey, and the entire region are going through a transitional phase. For this reason, there is a need for reason and awareness. This is very important in terms of future politics and the future project. The authoritarian parties in the Middle East are willing to practice subservience to other powers, but they are not willing to change themselves. Their mentality sees itself as superior and does not accept other cultures. Enemies of democracy, of the will of the people, and of freedoms have emerged in the region. This stems from ignorance or from knowledge; it stems from ignorance and from the old mentality. What is the goal? They do not want to live with you, but rather to enslave you. And some do this knowingly in order to obstruct the path to a solution."

Hesso explained that they are in a phase of integration, elaborating it, "Perhaps some are satisfied and some are not. We must explain this; we, the Kurds, when our enemies are weak, they make us their brothers, and when they are strong, they make us their enemies. International powers, when they need the Kurds, speak of their heroism, but when they pass laws, the rights of the Kurdish people are not mentioned. In other words, no one will do anything for us, so we must not deceive ourselves. We have relations with neighboring countries and the world, but we are building these relationships only so that they will recognize our existence. These countries do not support us; they have their own interests. But this does not mean we should not build relations with them. Some say that these powers want to establish Kurdistan. Where will they create it from? They say this only to destroy the democratic project. The January 4th Agreement (between the Syrian Interim Government, Israel, and Turkey) was also part of this. There was a plan, and the plan was to exterminate the Kurds, and no one said 'no.' But we resisted against it, and the stance of the people of Rojava and the people of Kurdistan thwarted it. The Kurds did this for themselves, and that is the right thing to do. As a result, we have reached the integration agreement."

"Our integration is democratic"

Hesso added, "Integration means partnership. Capitalist countries see integration as the assimilation of the weaker party, but is it possible for us to be assimilated? We do not approach it that way. The foundation is protecting the culture, language, and essence of our peoples. This isn't outside the bounds of democracy; it's a fundamental principle. To create partnerships between societies and protect their languages and cultures, why shouldn't we do this? If we do not, we will be assimilated, and they will try to exterminate us. But for now, our language, protection, and self-organization are preserved.

Hesso pointed out that they have taken some steps at this stage, including the release of prisoners and the beginning of the return of displaced persons. He emphasized the necessity of amending the constitution and achieving democracy in the country, making clear that if integration is sabotaged, a dangerous phase will ensue.

"Some parties emptied the Kurdish delegation of its essence"

 Gharib Hesso spoke about the importance of Kurdish unity, saying, "Now, countries are collapsing, and some are weakening and waiting their turn; however, we are not waiting for collapse because we are a society demanding freedom. We must now prioritize the unity of the Kurdish people. The people want it, but the political forces are somewhat distant. We held a conference and formed a Kurdish delegation, but some parties held meetings with Damascus outside the delegation and emptied the delegation of its substance. Damascus wants to tear us apart. There are some parties that have never spoken about a national conference, neither in the past nor now. On this basis, a special war is also being waged, and intelligence networks are behind it."

"The Kurds are a fundamental factor in the Middle East, and there will be no change without them"

For her part, Sema Bekdash; the co-chair of the Democratic Union Party's Foreign Relations Office, noted that when discussing the gains of the revolution, the university immediately comes to mind. She said, "Now, after this stage, we have been overcome by despair, and we must move beyond it. There was an international conspiracy. We are a people who constantly renew ourselves. There is confusion because we approach the issue of integration differently than the state does. We lost part of our territory, but we gained Kurdish unity. Today, we possess our own protection and culture, and we must not underestimate that. The next stage requires us to renew ourselves, and today, global changes are affecting us. The Kurds are a fundamental factor, and there will be no change without them. This stage must be carefully analyzed, and you must analyze it. There will be a state on one side a democratic society on the other."

Following the speeches, the professors and students asked questions and expressed their opinions. It was noted that the plan targeting Rojava was no less than the "Lausanne" plan, stressing the need to search for the sources of error and correct them. The lecture then concluded with answers to the attendees' questions.

ANHA