Warnings against excluding Syrians from Damascus–Ankara talks

Various Syrian groups have warned of the grave risks of excluding the will of the Syrian people from any understandings or agreements between Turkey and Damascus. They stressed that any deal not grounded in a unified national Syrian consensus and inclusive of all components would amount to a political bargain that entrenches foreign influence and reproduces the crisis.

Deals That Do Not Represent the People

Lawyer Ahmad Al-Khidr stated that the agreements concluded by the Syrian interim government with other countries, particularly Turkey lack legitimacy due to the absence of popular consent.

“In the absence of a constitution that guarantees the rights of all communities and a democratically elected parliament representing all Syrians, any agreements made without the people’s will are invalid,” he said, “and can only be described as deals serving the interests of certain individuals within the government.”

Al-Khidr added: “These understandings are not genuine Syrian settlements but attempts to redraw the map and divide the country by imposing Turkish dominance over Syrian decision-making, through the arming and backing of Turkey-affiliated factions. Any agreement that does not emanate from the will of Syrians constitutes a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and the people’s right to self-determination.”

He further noted that “such deals seek to reproduce the old centralized system that prevailed under the Ba’ath regime something Syrians, who have paid a heavy price for change and democracy, can no longer accept.”

A Comprehensive Syrian Solution, Not Political Bargains

For his part, politician Yasser Al-Kurdi stressed that any rapprochement between Damascus and Ankara cannot form the basis of a genuine political solution unless it is rooted in a broad, inclusive Syrian national will that brings together all political forces and components.
“The solution in Syria cannot be military, security-based, or the result of deals between states pursuing their own interests and influence,” he said. “It must be a comprehensive Syrian solution that reflects the people’s aspirations for freedom, democracy, and national unity.”

Al-Kurdi also emphasized that “any understandings reached without the participation of the active political and social forces in North and East Syria will lack legitimacy, as they ignore the voice of millions of Syrians. The real solution begins from within through an inclusive political process that recognizes the Autonomous Administration as a democratic national model open to dialogue, and that institutionalizes decentralization as a guarantee for Syria’s unity and stability, free from foreign dictates and short-term deals.”

Excluding Syrians Threatens Unity and Social Fabric

Cultural figure Nasreen Malla Hassan considered the exclusion of Syrians from negotiation tables a serious threat to the country’s unity and social cohesion.
“Decisions made about Syria’s future without genuine participation from its people weaken Syrians’ ability to build a stable future and increase the risks of division,” she said.

Hassan added that “ignoring popular will means leaving the fate of the country in the hands of regional powers seeking to expand their influence at the expense of Syria’s stability and unity. Such decisions fail to represent all components of Syrian society, lack legitimacy, and are difficult to implement on the ground.”

She concluded that the current phase represents a genuine crossroads for Syrians: “Either we move toward building a comprehensive political solution based on decentralization and democracy or we fall again into the trap of reproducing the old centralized system in new forms. This is something that the people of North and East Syria, and all those who believe in a united and just Syria, firmly reject.