The Syrian government needs to unite with the Kurdish, Arab and Assyrian communities to forge a collective front against Turkey’s divisive plans, said Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council co-chair Cemil Bayık in an interview with Sterk TV on Wednesday. He stressed that a crucial aspect of this unity lies in addressing the longstanding Kurdish question through negotiation with Kurdish representatives.
“Syria needs to confront the occupying Turkish state and work towards liberating the territories under Turkish control,” said Bayık. “By doing this, Syria will serve its own interests and safeguard its sovereignty.”
Conversely, any conflict between the Syrian government and its own people would result in significant damage and further complications, according to Bayık. He expressed hope that Syria would grasp the reality of the situation and prioritise the pursuit of peaceful and inclusive solutions that promote unity among all ethnic and cultural groups within its borders.
Regarding the recent Astana meeting involving Russia, Syria, Turkey and Iran, Bayık said that despite numerous such meetings, no concrete solutions had been found to address the pressing issues confronting the region’s diverse populations. He further argued that in fact, these gatherings have often exacerbated existing problems, resulting in greater complexities.
One recurring topic of discussion in these meetings has been the Kurdish question. However, according to the KCK executive, it is evident that rather than acknowledging and seeking to resolve the problem through political and democratic means, the approach has been focused on neutralising and eliminating the Kurdish presence.
“The Turkish state has occupied several areas of Syria. It has even annexed the areas it occupied,” Bayık said. “They are removing Kurds from these areas and replacing them with gangs affiliated with the Turkish state. In other words, they are changing the demographics there.”
Bayık stated that this deliberate demographic alteration underlines the Turkish government’s ongoing pursuit of a policy rooted in Kurdish genocide.
He evaluated Turkey’s public stance, that of claiming control over all Kurdish-held regions, as being the driving force behind its visible attacks and military operations.
Bayık emphasised the intensity of the Turkish attacks against Kurdish-led northern Syria, criticising the international community and NATO for their perceived inaction in the face of the ongoing military assaults that have been casting a shadow over the prospects for peace and stability in the region.
Bayık reiterated the need to address the Turkish aggression against the Syrian Kurds, who continue to wage a great struggle against the Islamic State (ISIS), defendng humane values in the face of this alarming situation.
