The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) has denounced the potential reconciliation between Turkey and Syria, labelling it a ‘major conspiracy’ against the Syrian people, aiming to legitimise the Turkish occupation of the country.
In a statement released on Saturday, the AANES criticised Turkey’s actions in Syria since the beginning of the revolution, accusing Ankara of supporting extremist forces and terrorist groups to expand its influence. “Any agreement with the Turkish state will be against the interests of Syrians in general and will ensure that division and conspiracy become entrenched against the unity of Syria and its people,” the autonomous administration warned.
Speaking to the Turkish media on Friday, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signalled a major policy shift towards Syria. He placed an emphasis on his openness to the restoration of diplomatic channels and to restraint from interference in Syria’s internal affairs, stating “There is no reason not to establish relations” with the country with which Turkey had severed all dealings since the beginning of the civil war in 2011.
While the statement shocked many, it was also viewed as yet another U-turn by the Turkish leader who is known for his extreme pragmatism, as when he shook hands with Egypt’s President Abd el-Fattah el-Sisi in 2022 after nine years of animosity.
The Kurdish-led autonomous administration argued that such an agreement would not yield positive results but would support those backed by Turkey, “foremost among them the ISIS organisation” and spread more chaos by “exacerbating the reality” on the ground in Syria.
The statement emphasised the system of self-administration as the “best option” for Syrian unity. “We affirm that self-administration is the best option for the unity of Syria and its people, and a basic guarantee of the achievment of peaceful democratic change within a united Syria,” it said.
The AANES called for national dialogue “under the roof of one homeland” to liberate Turkish-occupied areas and expel the Turkish occupying forces. It praised as “valued” and “deserving appreciation” the voices condemning Turkey’s role in Syria.
The administration urged all national forces of Syria to unite in liberating the occupied areas and expelling the occupation, and advocated Syrian national dialogue under the banner of “one strong, liberated Syria”.
