Amed Dicle
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed a desire to meet and reconcile with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Although Erdoğan had previously announced this intention, his recent statements have reached the point of almost pleading with Assad. Speaking to journalists on his return from a NATO summit in Washington, Erdoğan reiterated his request to meet with Assad in Ankara or a third country. He also announced that he has tasked Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan with handling this matter.
Erdoğan’s desire to meet and reconcile with Assad is known to be driven by anti-Kurdish agendas. The Ankara regime believes that dismantling the autonomous administration in northern Syria and preventing Kurdish status in the ‘new Syria’ hinges on reconciling with Bashar al-Assad.
What do officials in Northern Syria think about this? Co-chair of the PYD [Democratic Union Party], Salih Muslim, has made statements on the matter.
Muslim states that Ankara’s policies in Syria have completely failed, which is why Erdoğan and his team are now seeking to meet with Assad. He recalls that Erdoğan has also been trying to resolve issues with other regional countries, adding, “They see that the policies they wanted to design in the Middle East since 2010 have collapsed, and now they want to fix them.”
When asked if the political ground is suitable for a meeting and agreement between Erdoğan and Assad, Muslim responded, “The ground is not suitable for us. It seems difficult for both sides. Above all, the people of Syria do not accept such a situation. Even if a meeting occurs, any agreements would be merely formalities and have no practical impact on the ground.”
Regarding the possibility of an agreement turning into a move against them, Muslim stated, “Our issue is an internal matter for Syria and Syrians. This is not a topic that concerns Turkey. We established our self-administrations by clearing our regions, abandoned by the Damascus regime and targeted by ISIS, from ISIS. We will solve our problems within the integrity of Syria. Any move by Damascus in alliance with Turkey against us would harm Syria. But if such a situation occurs, we would naturally defend ourselves with our self-defence forces.”
Salih Muslim noted that Russia is the most eager for a Turkish-Syrian reconciliation. “Russia wants to avoid losing Syria and wants to keep Turkey on its side,” he added.
Highlighting the armed groups supported by Turkey in Syria, Muslim mentioned that Erdoğan’s administration continues its relations with these groups, posing a serious danger to Syria, a fact also recognised in Damascus. Muslim emphasised that any potential Ankara-Damascus agreement would not be accepted by these groups, creating a significant obstacle to Erdoğan’s desired reconciliation strategy.
Responding to questions about the situation of refugees in Turkey, Muslim remarked that millions of Syrians left their country influenced by Turkey’s attacks and propaganda. He pointed out that Turkey has been training terrorist groups in refugee camps near the borders and sending them back to Syria, a situation that continues to this day.
Muslim stated that Erdoğan uses refugees as leverage against both Europe and Rojava [North and East Syria]. Regarding returns, he said, “We also want refugees to return. Whoever left from wherever should be able to return to their city and home. Everyone should do their part in this regard. We are ready to welcome and employ those who left our regions. However, Erdoğan’s regime plans demographic changes by sending refugees from other parts of Syria to our regions. We do not accept this. The Autonomous Administration has previously called for it; we are ready to welcome those who left our regions. The UN, the US, and European countries are not fulfilling their responsibilities in this matter.”
When asked if they currently have any relations with the Damascus regime, Muslim replied, “We have technical-level relations. There is no political negotiation mechanism. But we have a mechanism for technical coordination.”
Amed Dicle was born and raised in Diyarbakır, Turkey. He has worked for Kurdish-language media outlets in Europe, including Roj TV, Sterk TV, and ANF. His career has taken him to Rojava, Syria, Iraq, and many other countries across Europe. Follow him on Twitter.
