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Syria
L-R: Gabriel Moushe Gawrieh, Amina Omar, Rudaw anchor Omar Kalo, Nashaat Zaza, and Sheikh Basman al-Assaf in Qamishli. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — As Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria (Rojava) continue making promises of reforms to the structure and principles of its autonomous administration, opposition parties expect concrete results and intra-Syrian talks before joining the administration.
Syrian Kurds established their own government for their first time in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, thanks to the withdrawal of the regime forces in Kurdish-majority areas in order to defend Arab-majority areas. The first areas under Kurdish rule were the cantons of Afrin, Kobane and Jazira, separated from each other by territory under regime control, but all run by the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
When Kurds took control of more areas in northeast Syria from the regime, they named them the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES) in late 2013. When the YPG seized Arab-majority areas from the Islamic State (ISIS), it allowed Arabs and locals from other ethnic and religious groups to join its ranks.
When the Global Coalition against ISIS supported the YPG in the fight against the terror group, it suggested establishing a force that included all ethnic and religious groups with a different name. The Syrian Democratic Forces was thus formed in late 2015, and now controls most of northeast Syria.
However, the powershare method in the SDF and the NES has been deemed “unfair” by some Kurdish, Arab and Assyrian opposition groups. There have even been protests in some Arab-majority areas against lack of basic services in their areas. This forced the NES to reconsider its policy and launch talks with opposition groups.
The SDF - which acts as the de-facto military of the NES - has mediated inta-Kurdish talks between the opposition Kurdish National Council (ENKS) and the ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) – the political arm of the YPG. The talks have been delayed many times due to disagreement over the powershare model. Mediated by the US, talks are expected to resume in the coming days.
The SDC held 13 meetings with people across the region in November, hearing their criticisms and suggestions for administration reforms. A final statement by the committee that ran the talks on November 25 included a 17-point letter which included suggestions such as preparing for local elections within a year and restructuring institutions to reduce bureaucracy.
Rudaw’s Omar Kalo held a panel this week in Qamishli, attended by SDC co-chair Amina Omar and representatives of Syrian opposition parties - Sheikh Basman Al-Assaf, head of the One Syria Community, Gabriel Moushe Gawrieh, head of relations office for the Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) and Nashaat Zaza, politburo member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (PDK-S).
The PDK-S is part of the ENKS.
Omar said that the NES was formed with general principles without taking into consideration details of the administration.
“The intention of people from Arab-majority areas to join the administration has increased now. They initially feared [doing so] due to the regime and Daesh [Arabic acronym for ISIS]. Therefore, they refused to join the administration. However, after seeing that the administration is democratic and embraces everyone … this changed.”
She said that the results of the 13 meetings will be implemented, overseen by a group of 16 people. She claimed that they had invited “everyone” to the meetings, but some refused to attend, while “the regime did not allow some Arabs to attend.”
One Syria Community is active in Arab-majority areas and is critical of the NES. The group is also close to the Syrian regime and wants Damascus to be involved in all talks in the northeast.
Assaf criticised the SDC meetings, saying they “were about discussing the autonomous administration while there are a large number of people who basically do not accept the administration.”
The Arab political leader also said that Arabs “want a deal in the region which includes negotiations with the Syrian government. This is not my personal view. I always try to be logical and transparent,” he said, adding that the Kurdish unity talks “lack transparency.”
Zaza, from the PDK-S, believes that the NES should be inclusive and “for all.” He suggested the creation of a new form of governance by all ethnic and religious groups, rather than continuing with the current one.
“We want to prepare a project together that is shared by all the ethnic and religious groups in the region rather than joining an already-prepared one.”
He criticized the NES for “not being owned by those who created it and being run by some people from behind scenes,” as a reference to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – an armed group which has struggled for decades for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. Ankara regards the YPG and SDF as Syrian offshoots of the PKK.
Gawrieh said that members of the Assyrian minority are not happy in Rojava, due to economic and security concerns. He said that the NES should change its foreign policy and forge good relations with both Ankara and Erbil, as both governments are “strategic” to Rojava.
The NES has thorny relations with Turkey and fragile relations with the Kurdistan Region.
He expressed his disappointment with recent SDC meetings.
“Frankly speaking, all the talks led by the Syrian Democratic Council since 2016 have not brought any developments to the Syrian Democratic Council’s vision or the nature of its relations with other groups.”
ADO was established in 1957 and is the oldest Assyrian political organization in Syria. Gawrieh and the institution have been suppressed by Damascus for decades. However, he believes that the NES should also have talks with the regime, but under Russian sponsorship.
The SDC’s Omar said she was “delighted” to hear the criticism from the opposition figures, saying she expects all groups to join the NES in the future and have a representation in its constitution.”
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