SDF Commander-in-Chief clarifies some important assessments, messages

In its thirteenth year, the July 19th Revolution retains its significance on the political, social, and global agendas. The more it perturbs its adversaries, the more it holds a crucial position among nations and beliefs. 

On the commemoration of the twelfth anniversary of the July 19 Revolution in 2012, to highlight its accomplishments on defense and politics, and the current threats and peril, our agency conducted an interview with the Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi.

Mazloum Abdi noted that tremendous resistance has been waged over the past 12 years, yet the perils persist, and the unity of all components of North and East Syria will advance progress.

Abdi emphasized an undeniable reality in the region, stating that it is impossible to revert to 12 years ago, and new developments will unfold in the thirteenth year of the revolution.“

The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces explained that there are many problems and differences between Damascus and Ankara, making it difficult for them to reach an agreement at this time.

Mazloum Abdi stated that they are open to dialogue with everyone, especially the Damascus government, and are confident that a solution can be reached with Damascus. He explained that they are in contact with Damascus, but Damascus must reconsider its position.

Abdi also expressed their willingness to engage in dialogue with the Turkish state, but only on the condition that Turkey withdraws its mercenaries from the occupied territories.

The text of the dialogue is as follows:

The July 19 Revolution took its first steps in many aspects, but the fight against ISIS and the foundational defense approach are the most prominent.

How do you evaluate defense and protection over the last 12 years?

The July 19 Revolution marked the beginning of a new phase in Syria. The political map of Syria before the revolution differed from that after it. Before the revolution, regional forces were waging a war in Syria to seize power. There was no interest for the Syrian people in this war, but the start of the July 19 Revolution turned the calculations of these forces upside down.

All the forces planned to keep the Kurdish people as a reserve card and exploit them for their own interests, but their calculations all failed. With the outbreak of the revolution, the Kurdish people first began to form their defense forces, then liberated their regions, and then began to engage in great work for the sake of all of Syria.

All the forces present in Syria were supported externally, and they did not have a Syrian plan. None of them cared about the interests of the Syrian people. They were formed on the basis of religious extremism, racism, and nationalist fanaticism, but the July 19 revolution paved the way for a new phase. The defense forces were first formed from the people of the Kurdish people, but it later included under its banner all the components in Syria, and it became Syrian forces that took the interests of the Syrian people as their basis, and in this way it paved the way for a new stage.

Ongoing Risks

As the July 19 Revolution moves into its thirteenth year, threats and attacks against it have increased. What risks does it face?

It can be said that risks have been present throughout all the years. We have spent many years in the shadow of risks and war, making great sacrifices. The first year of the revolution was particularly challenging. In 2012-2013, during the revolution's inception, all areas of Rojava and Kurdistan, including Afrin, were under attack. They sought to eradicate the revolution at its core, but encountered strong resistance. Subsequently, groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS emerged, followed by attacks from the Turkish state. These threats posed significant dangers. While the dangers have not ceased, we have managed to overcome them through great resistance. With the unity of the Syrian people's diverse components – Kurds, Arabs, Christians, and Syriacs – we continue to face danger.

The Syrian regime, first, rejects dialogue and instead wages an indirect war against us, attempting to sow discord and division among the components of North and East Syria.

The Turkish state, on the other hand, aims to eradicate the Autonomous Administration project and the Syrian Democratic Forces. It has occupied some of our regions and is striving to seize control of the remaining areas.

 “We must join hands.

Our internal situation is one of the real dangers we face. Our region is under siege, and there are external interventions on the economic level. They are deliberately eliminating the resources of the Autonomous Administration so that it is not able to serve the people. Last year, they targeted our service institutions, causing great damage to them. Of course, part of this problem is our management style, but there are also sieges and attacks, and this causes suffering to our people and forces them to travel. Therefore, all components of North and East Syria and all our institutions must unite in order to overcome the risks and challenges.”

Municipal elections were expected to be held in the North and East Syria Syria in June, and the Turkish state sought to use these elections as a pretext for its attacks.

“They have greatly exaggerated the issue of the elections. The elections are one of the rights of this people. They have the right to elect their representatives. It is a natural right. Many other parties have asked us to postpone the elections. They have made it a big issue. No one has the right to ask us to postpone the elections, but we must think about the interests of our people. I trust that our people, institutions, and parties that will run in the elections will evaluate the issue, and I also trust that the Supreme Elections Commission will make the most correct decision for the sake of the people’s interests.”

The revolution and the regime that was built as a result had a wide resonance at the political and diplomatic levels. What do you say in your assessment of this issue?

“This issue must be understood correctly, as the issue is not related to the performance of our comrades. The performance of our diplomatic institutions is undoubtedly important, but we in North and East Syria are living in a special situation. The regional powers concerned with the Syrian file, including the Turkish state and the Syrian regime, have been opposed to the involvement of the Kurdish people in the political process since the first day. Many international meetings were held regarding Syria, but the region of North and East Syria, which constitutes a third of Syria’s area and where a quarter of Syria’s population lives, was excluded due to pressure from Turkey and the Syrian regime.”

We cannot go back to 12 years ago.

What do opponents fear?

“Each of them fears something. We cannot bring them together, but with regard to the Kurdish issue and its solution in particular, the occupying countries, especially the state of Turkey and the Syrian regime, are afraid to acknowledge the reality and existence of the Kurdish people. They refuse for the Kurdish people to have a political entity. We are in dialogue with everyone, but there is a problem with the issue of recognizing the political entity of the Kurdish people, and this is the basis of hostility. They are well aware that if the gains of the revolution in North and East Syria are guaranteed, many major issues will be resolved, and development, protection and obtaining political recognition are all matters that upset the calculations of the Syrian regime, the Turkish state and some international powers. Today, after 12 years, the time has come for them to be convinced to abandon this hostility, as it is not possible to return to 12 years ago.”

 “It is difficult for Damascus and Ankara to reach an agreement.

Turkey has recently been seeking to hold high-level meetings with Damascus. What is your comment on this? Why do you think Turkey seeks rapprochement with Damascus?

The Turkish state is suffering from an internal and external crisis, and all its plans related to Syria have failed since 2011 until now. It has undertaken the occupation and become part of the Syrian crisis, but has not become part of the solution. They are deepening the problem and exacerbating it even more no matter how much they continue to say: “We are solving the problem.” They have drowned in the Syrian quagmire, and the Turkish state’s primary goal is to eliminate our forces. The Syrian Democratic Forces and the Autonomous Administration system sought to eliminate it in many ways and forms, but they did not achieve their goal, so they are trying again now.

The Syrian regime is not completely against this, but it also has demands. They and the Turkish state may agree, but they have different demands. The Syrian regime wants Turkey to abandon the opposition, the Muslim Brotherhood, the armed groups in Idlib, Afrin, Ras al-Ain, and other forces. When the Syrian regime says that the Turkish state must withdraw from Syria, its primary goal is to cut off Turkey’s support for these forces so that it can control those areas again.

There is also another matter: Turkey may have similar requests, and the Syrian regime may not be closed to that, as it announces its demands. But it is difficult to implement. It is not impossible, but it is difficult. It takes a long time. For example, in 12 years, the Syrian regime targeted everyone, and Turkey agreed to gather armed groups and their families in Idlib, and now they are sending them to Afrin.

Everyone wants a solution. Turkey does not accept their return to Turkey again, Turkish public opinion opposes that, and the Syrian regime does not accept them either. The problem is deep, and I do not think it can be solved in a short time.”

They send these mercenaries as militants to many areas such as Defense areas of Media, Nigeria and Libya. However, we can say that they are not just gunmen, they also have millions of families opposing the Syrian regime. So their file must be resolved. They were deplaced from their areas according to deals. The Turkish state and the Syrian regime have previously agreed in Al -Bab, Afrin, Idlib, Aleppo and Homs. At that time it was easy, but now they have reached the last destination, a comprehensive solution is needed. I think it will not be possible to achieve success in a short time. We are confident that there will be a solution with the Syrian regime.

• A year ago, the Democratic Autonomous Administration (DAA) issued an initiative for dialogue and solution, it is possible to develop a dialogue between the Damascus government and the DAA

 12 years ago, we have been trying to reach a solution with the Syrian regime through the dialogue. We are confident that a solution will be reached with the Syrian regime. We will continue our efforts to do that.

Unfortunately, there is no agreement, as the Syrian regime is not yet ready for the solution. the Syrian regime wants to return before 2011. Furthermore, the Kurdish issue is very important in Syria. The regime does not yet accept the teaching of two Kurdish language sessions per week. It has no comprehensive approach to the solution.

Anyway, during the last period, we wanted to reach an agreement on some issues that can be implemented, such as border crossings, economic issues, trade and education, but they are not ready for dialogue.

Basically, the Syrian regime should reconsider its approach to the solution, and to see in the efforts of the DAAt an opportunity for Syria's stability and problem solving. Moreovez, there is a security, military and administrative reality students go to universities and learn Kurdish language, and it is not possible to return to what we were previously.

So the pressures must be exerted on the Syrian regime to reconsider its behavior for the solution.

• Do you think that the Damascus government could take such a step?

Currently, it is a bit difficult, but we have not lost hope. That is why our meetings with them continue. The Syrian regime must bear this burden more, and come to the conviction that it cannot continue in this manner. They also have economic and security problems, and if we compare their situation to ours, our situation is much better than theirs. This is what they themselves say and admit. But despite that, they are still stubborn. Therefore, stronger pressure must be exerted on them for the solution. On the other hand, we are open to dialogue, but we also have conditions.

* You made a statement a few days ago and declared that you are ready to sit with all parties, including Turkey, in order to solve the Syrian crisis. What are your conditions for this?

We are open to meetings with all Syrians and regional and international powers interested in the Syrian file. We believe that the Syrian crisis cannot be solved by war. That is enough. There has been a war for 12 years. War can't be the solution. On the contrary it must be through dialogue. Of course, the dialogue will not only be with the Syrian regime, but with all parties. If the people currently in Idlib, Afrin and other occupied places are open to dialogue and accept our basic condition, then we are open to dialogue.

Our basic condition with Turkey and its loyalists is ending the occupation of Afrin, Girê Spi and Serêkaniyê. Accordingly, we are open to communicating with these forces in order to solve these problems among ourselves.

The Turkish state supports armed groups and is an occupying force; In order to end the occupation, we are ready to negotiate with them. But this is a bit difficult. Because the Turkish state is currently on the offensive, it is attacking the Kurds. However, we are open to dialogue, they must also be convinced that after 12 years this problems cannot be solved through killing, attack and occupation.

• There are efforts to hold a meeting between Damascus and Ankara in Baghdad, How do you evaluate this?

 I think there will be no progress, as it is a continuation of the meetings that took place previously in Moscow. Russia itself says, "We are not outside the process that the Iraqi government wants to develop." I don't think the outcome will be different than it was before. This is a false attempt and it is impossible to succeed. The problem is not related to the Syrian regime only. There are other forces, and we are also here, If the Iraqi government wants to develop something like this, it should invite representatives of NE Syria as well.

• There are also many developments in terms of building the social system. As an assessment of the past 12 years, what do you say in this regard?

There are 3 parts in Syria: one is under the control of the Syrian regime, the second is under the occupation of the Turkish state and its affiliated forces, while the third part is administered by the Autonomous Administration. If we compare these parts, there has already been a revolution in our regions in terms of change. We fought and built our institutions at the same time. In recent years we have made efforts to continue institutional development. Of course, there are many shortcomings, we also suffer from the siege and foreign interference. In the thirteenth year of the revolution, we are forced to listen to the demands of our people and make a strong correction. If we and our people cooperate, we will improve the current situation.

• A forum was held for the clans of the regions of NE Syria. What steps were taken after this forum?

The clans have been greatly manipulated, and the Turkish state and the regime have implemented a project to divide and fragment society.

 In fact, it was a successful forum that includes representatives of all regions. They announced their positions and also had some demands. Their main demands revolved around the security file. They demanded the release of those who did not commit murders. They also demanded the return of the Syrian families in Al-Hol camp to their areas. In addition to calling for increased anti-drug efforts, we have taken these demands seriously and good results have been achieved in this regard. 

The People's Assembly approved the amnesty law, and about 1,500 prisoners will be released. Moreover, Syrian families in the camp also began returning to their areas.

• There were efforts for Kurdish-Kurdish dialogue, but they did not achieve any results. What are the reasons?

On the political level, good steps have been made in the dialogue process, the National Unity Parties PYNK and the Kurdish National Council reached a common point of view. While some practical issues remained unresolved, such as “how to participate in administration and elections. There were several reasons for stopping the dialogue. Currently, we, America, Britain and France are being asked to resume the dialogue process. It is very likely that the dialogue process will resume next August.

• In the 13th year of the revolution, what could happen to Syria and NE Syria?

Just as we and our people were able to pass the past 12 years with tremendous efforts and resistance, we will pass next year at the same pace. I am confident that we will achieve important and serious developments. The Syrian crisis may not be completely resolved, and it may last for a long time, we will continue our efforts to defend the people. Much progress has been achieved over the past years, and we seek to complete our preparations for next year as well. In terms of defense and protection.

 The DAA also achieved many achievements including the Social Contract, I hope that work will be done to strengthen our internal front and the unity of the components in order to achieve our project.

We have passed the difficult part, so no one should be deceived again, our revolution does not deserve this. Let us stand by our Administration despite all the shortcomings, and work together for development.

T/Satt, a.k

ANHA