Germany must have ‘clear demands’ for Syria: State premier

SAXONY-ANHALT, Germany - The premier of Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt state on Friday said that cooperation with Damascus hinges on its ability to safeguard all communities from violence and enshrine their rights in the constitution.

“Protecting communities is the highest standard for a culture of cooperation and a fundamental principle of the United Nations in all countries around the world,” Reiner Haseloff told Rudaw.

Haseloff is a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which topped the polls in last month’s federal election.

He expects that the next government will set forth “clear demands” for Syria’s interim authorities.

One area of specific concern is the constitution. Haseloff said it was “unacceptable” to cater to the interests of a single group and warned that any move in this direction would eliminate the prospect of cooperation.

Signed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in mid-March, the temporary constitution is rooted in Islamic jurisprudence, mandates that Syria’s president must be a Muslim, and establishes a five-year transitional period. It also retains Syria’s official name as the Syrian Arab Republic.

Haseloff condemned the bloodshed after mass killings of Alawites in Syria’s coastal regions - and fears that similar violence could target other communities - and said that safeguarding populations remains the “highest standard” for fostering international cooperation.

Germany on Thursday reopened its embassy in Damascus though it will have a limited staff. The embassy was closed 13 years ago, during the early years of Syria’s civil conflict.


Below is the full transcript of the interview:

Rudaw: What is your message for Kurdish Newroz? How important are these Kurdish cultural events held in Germany?

Reiner Haseloff: Certainly, we now have many ethnic groups here, and it's clear that we celebrate together. We are one society, we are a civil society and must be together and united. On the other hand, today marks the beginning of spring in our calendar as well, meaning that since humans have existed, they have always had common celebrations due to universal elements we know, such as the sun, the rotation of the sun, and other things. The issue is light and darkness. These are fundamental questions that connect us as religious people. The desire for peace and freedom has always been linked to these celebrations. This is a global matter for us, regardless of where your homeland is or where you come from.

What is your message to Kurds who are celebrating Newroz today?

Every human needs a homeland, every human needs a sense of belonging, everyone must know their background, but they must also have plans for peace and a peaceful future. We know that Kurdish people have had to live in many countries. Those countries have had wars, and it has been difficult to live in peace. It is very important, above all, that Kurds, wherever they are, find their homeland without forgetting their roots. Here, too, they can celebrate their occasions together with different cultures away from violence.

Germany has reopened its embassy in Damascus and provides financial assistance to the Syrian authorities under Ahmed al-Sharaa. Is this done without conditions?

This is a decision by the German Foreign Ministry. They are aware of how complex the situation is. They know that normalizing the situation is not easy, but support of this kind ensures they adhere to human rights principles and universal principles that bind us humans together. That must be the fundamental basis of our policy. We are at the beginning of a political process that still has a long way to go and requires many things from us that we must take responsibility for.

Are you confident that the current Syrian authorities, who committed mass-killings against Alawites, will not repeat it against Kurds, Druze, and others?

I think this way: the violence that occurred and continues to occur is unacceptable to anyone. If the matter is about cooperating with the new government, the first thing must be that people put aside violence. Violence leads to discrimination and separates others. We are obliged to find peaceful solutions. Protecting communities is the highest standard for a culture of cooperation and is also a principle of the United Nations in all countries around the world.

Syria is now governed by a temporary constitution that Kurds, Druze, Christians, and Alawites reject because they say it was designed for one party. Do you see this as a risk for renewed violence in Syria?

According to our understanding of law and governance, this is unacceptable because the protection of communities must always be guaranteed. Without this, there can be no element of cooperation. I expect the federal government and the new federal government to present clear demands and call for togetherness.

Kurds are calling for a constitution that recognizes their existence and rights in Syria. Do you support the Kurdish demand?

This is an important principle. What we have in the German constitution, being able to help establish it there as well, that is our condition and standard for the states we work with so they can secure something similar. For me, a constitution is not acceptable if it does not establish rights and protections for different communities.

How do you view the resolution process in Turkey, given that news from the past few days and the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul have concerned some parties?

I am not currently aware of the details. However, the federal government in this matter, towards a NATO member and also a partner, must have its own demands that they follow the same principles that a law-abiding country implements, and these principles must be followed without shortcomings.

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