Syrian Activist: Leader Ocalan’s Message offers hope for democratic Syria

Leader Ocalan’s message has emerged in recent days as a pivotal event in the Middle Eastern political scene, carrying a comprehensive intellectual vision aimed at lifting the region, and Syria in particular, out of the accumulated crises.

Message carrying hope for the triumph of peace and democracy

Mohammad Issa said: “ The message, which included his greetings to the peoples of Turkey, the Middle East, and the world for the New Year, carries hope that the coming year will see the triumph of peace values and the establishment of a democratic society.”

He added: “From his philosophical perspective, the reality of the region’s peoples fluctuates under the grip of sectarian, nationalist, and ethnic conflicts. He sees these problems as an objective product of states’ and societies’ tendencies toward violence and wars, a concept he refers to in his political and intellectual writings as ‘statism.’”

Issa explained: “These characteristics, which collectively define statism, produce alienation, violence, and wars. Leader Ocalan’s philosophy uses this framework to interpret phenomena, emphasizing that imperialist wars throughout the past century reinforced authoritarian regimes whose strategy to subjugate peoples relied on dividing them and disrupting their social fabric.”

He stressed: “ Leader Ocalan believes that there is no way for the region’s peoples to overcome their suffering except by pursuing democratic societies. In his message, he reiterates that adopting democratic and peaceful values is not only a choice but a balm for their wounds and a historical necessity. He expresses the same perspective regarding Syria and the principles that should govern the March 10 agreement between the Autonomous Administration and Damascus authorities.”

Mohammad Issa noted: “Before addressing the form and expected outcome of the March 10 agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian authorities, Ocalan’s message clarifies two key features and conditions that a society of peace and democracy should embody when implemented in Syria and the region’s communities in general.”

First, according to Issa, “is resolving the Kurdish issue as a central matter within local and regional societal problems. Its resolution is a top priority and cannot be bypassed. It must go through social peace between national components and democratic understanding among these components.”

Second, “is the principle of women’s participation, which leader Ocalan emphasizes. The foundational condition is that women’s liberation is a prerequisite for societal liberation. Achieving this requires freeing society from its patriarchal tendencies.”

Issa highlighted: “These are the social features and constitutional foundations a society of peace and democracy must possess. Ocalan envisions these when aiming for democratic integration between the SDF and the central authorities in Damascus.

The goal of the political process, according to his message, is to achieve integration within a single state in a democratic manner that respects each community’s uniqueness, without dissolving one component into another.”

He added: “The Autonomous Administration and the SDF approach the March 10 agreement with a commitment to dialogue, understanding, and equal participation of all Syrian components, including women’s involvement in shaping the country’s future. Their view is that the SDF is an essential part of the state’s structure and institutions, reflecting its popular, military, and political weight, and that this can evolve toward a decentralized democratic state.”

Turkish Domination Hinders Completion of Democratic Integration in Syria

Regarding why negotiation rounds have not achieved the desired results, Mohammad Issa attributed this to Turkish dominance over the decisions of the “de facto government.”

He noted that “this dominance stands as a barrier to any positive developments that the negotiation process might achieve.”

The Syrian activist emphasized: “leader Ocalan’s message urges Turkish authorities to bear their historical and moral responsibilities by facilitating Syrian understanding and stopping the obstruction of the agreement. This is evident in their role in sabotaging implementation opportunities, such as sending Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Damascus after each round of negotiations.”

Issa explained: “The Turkish state and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) are the primary obstacle to the will of the region’s peoples. Their policies uphold the fortress of chauvinist nationalist values and political Islam, which oppose the aspirations of peoples and communities dreaming of a secular, participatory, and democratic state that respects all identities and recognizes everyone’s role equally.”

He concluded: “There is no doubt that the leader’s initiative, which began in Turkey and started with the PKK’s disarmament, establishes a new approach in leader  Ocalan’s political philosophy. It breaks with authoritarian statism, addresses the minds of peoples toward peace and democratic societies, and is bound to stimulate popular consciousness, generating a dynamic already seen in the conflict between Bahçeli’s statist line and Erdoğan’s approach.”

ANHA