As regional and global powers seek solutions to the Syrian civil war, the Assad regime has launched efforts to dismantle the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), established in the North and East of the country. In this context, on 28 September, regime leaders met with mukhabarat and senior military intelligence leaders in Aleppo to arrive at a series of decisions, MA reports.
The meeting was attended by military and civilian security institutions from many regions, including Kobani, Manbij, and Afrin, and discussed ways and methods of attracting Circassians, Durzi, and Kurds to take sides with the regime.
It was reported that some of the articles decided upon at the meeting were also accepted and signed by the Republic Pavillion.
As a result of the meeting, which aimed to attract peoples and groups in the region to the regime’s side by agreeing to partial language and cultural rights, the decision was made to meet with tribes in the region from Kobani to Afrin. It was emphasized that the regime wants to send a message that military, political and economic issues can be discussed through the context of Syria’s unity, and the regime will call on tribes to support them.
The regime reportedly wants to spread propaganda through Kurdish and Arab figures, stating that AANES is conducting a ‘divisive policy’ between regions. The regime also wishes to convince the people by promising to improve the situation of the poor, MA reported.
Decisions reportedly taken at the meeting in Aleppo are as follows:
– Martyrs of the Syrian Democratic Forces (QSD) and the public security forces of the Democratic Autonomous Administration, especially in Afrin and other regions, who died fighting against the Turkish state, will be counted as “Martyrs of the Republic of Syria.” Accordingly, the regime administration will take care of the families of these martyrs.
– The establishment of a committee for children affected by war in these regions and in particular, ‘Kurdish patriots’ are to be included in this committee.
– This committee will start working on establishing Kurdish groups in regime-dominated areas and will expand to other AANES-dominated areas as well. An encouragement for people to return to Afrin, in particular, will be encouraged in order to create a provocation against the Turkish state. However, the work of these groups will be controlled by the regime.
– To end the debate on Kurdish language education in public schools, there will be the offer of an elective course in Kurdish in state-affiliated schools.
– There will be a regulation of the status of civil servants who cannot come to the state institutions of the Syrian regime due to the war.
– There will be an establishment of a small union for Kurdish artists under the Syrian Artists’ Union, allowing them to perform Kurdish songs, theatre, folklore, etc., under the regime’s control.
– Those who serve within the YPG or other Kurdish military groups will be considered to have served in the Syrian regime’s army and will be exempt from compulsory military service.
– Industrial and professional works that were previously closed in the Sheikh Maqsood districts of Sheba and Aleppo will be activated and approved by registering them under the Syrian regime.
– Afrin residents who settled in Sheba will be allowed to travel to and from Aleppo in order to meet their needs.
– An office affiliated with the Census Bureau and the Courthouse will be opened for registration for such issues as ID’s, for those who had settled in Tell Rifaat district.
– The establishment of a commission from the community elders will be put into effect, so that problems between the people of the region and the regime administration can be solved.