Jan Van Aken, co-chair of the German Left Party, urged Germany to back the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), during a statement made on Monday, criticising Berlin’s arms exports to Turkey which he claimed were enabling “illegal warfare” in Syria. “Germany should finally make up its mind and recognise this democratic self-government,” he said. “It is time for German foreign policy in Syria to become part of the solution and no longer part of the problem.”
The AANES, governing Kurdish-majority areas in northern Syria, has garnered attention for its focus on minority rights and gender equality. Van Aken highlighted these attributes, calling them a model for democracy in the Middle East. He further criticised Germany’s deportation proposals for Syrian refugees, describing them as “cynical” amid ongoing violence.
Van Aken accused Turkey of using German-supplied weapons to support the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), which he described as “funded, supported, and equipped entirely by Turkey”. He alleged that groups such as the SNA and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist militia with ties to al-Qaeda, have exacerbated Syria’s instability.
Drawing parallels with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Van Aken argued that the war in Syria is equally a violation of international law and urged Germany to reassess its role. “The Islamist militias attacking Syria are not democratic rebels but the successors of al-Qaeda,” he said. “Continuing to send weapons to Turkey while supporting the deportation of Syrian refugees is hypocrisy at its worst.”
Germany’s stance on Syria, including its deportation policies and arms exports, has been widely criticised by human rights groups and political figures like Van Aken, who demand a shift towards a policy that prioritises peace and human rights.
