ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurds in Europe should advocate on behalf of their fellow Kurds in Syria who are engaged in discussions with the new rulers in Damascus about the future of the country, battling renewed attacks around Tishreen Dam, and trying to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State (ISIS), a Kurdish-Swedish politician said in an interview with Rudaw.
“These issues must be highlighted by the Kurdish civil society organizations that exist in Sweden, among others, but also in other parts of Europe, and together with their friends,” said Kadir Kasirga, a Swedish parliament member of Kurdish descent, during a recent interview with Rudaw English.
“The Kurds have many friends in Europe, in parliaments, in cultural life. So through them, raising these issues in parliaments and with governments, that’s what Kurdish civil society and politicians can do together,” he added.
Kasirga is part of the Swedish Social Democrats, which is an opposition party. He had a debate with Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard in parliament last week about northeast Syria (Rojava).
In the interview, he also touched on Turkey’s demand that Sweden put pressure on its Kurdish population during NATO negotiations.
”The first agreement in Madrid, if you look at it, you know that Turkey fought for Sweden to label the YPG [Kurdish People’s Protection Units] and the PYD [Democratic Union Party, ruling party in northeast Syria] as terrorist organizations. But Sweden refused to do so. Even in Lithuania, Turkey tried to get Sweden to label the YPG and PYD as terrorist organizations. Sweden didn’t do that.”
Despite Ankara’s efforts, Kasirga said Kurds remain active in Sweden.
“The Kurdish civil society organizations continue to work. Swedish Kurds continue to live and work and contribute to Swedish society in all areas. During that [NATO] process, Turkey tried to score political points and show their domestic opinion - to show how tough we can be against Europe and put them in their place. Now, after the process is done, we see again how all European countries - including Sweden - actually, when needed, criticize Turkey and urge Turkey to follow international law and human rights and also seek peace with the Kurds. To make peace with the Kurds, especially in Turkey and Rojava,” he said.
Kasirga expressed that Kurdish unity is key to gaining the support of the international community and political gains.
The following is the full transcript of the interview with Kadir Kasirga:
Rudaw: The first question I have is, as a Kurd in the Swedish parliament, what do you think you can do to strengthen the Scandinavian country’s relations with northeast Syria (Rojava) and the authorities in the Kurdistan Region?
Kadir Kasirga: That’s a very good question.
Above all, when you are a representative and a member of the Swedish parliament, where you represent Sweden - and of course, I also have Kurdish roots - I don’t push these issues just because I’m Kurdish. I think that these issues should be driven by everyone who claims to fight for the happiness, dignity, democracy, and international solidarity of all people in the world.
But I think, as a parliamentarian, and also someone who has roots in Kurdistan, I think it is important to highlight the situation that the Middle East is in today, and especially in the areas where Kurds live, that is in all four parts of Kurdistan.
Today when people talk about the Middle East, people mostly think about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. But there is another question, and that is the Kurdish question.
We are talking about 40 million people who are split between four countries, who are still oppressed and persecuted, who have very difficult challenges in asserting their identity, their language, and their culture, and this issue must somehow be brought up and solved. And Iraq and Kurdistan today have a status in Iraq, and it’s very important that this status for Iraqi Kurdistan is preserved and developed in the future.
As politicians, of course, what we can do is to make sure we improve relations between Sweden and Iraqi Kurdistan on many different levels. It can be economic, it can be socio-political, it can be regarding the education system, all societal levels that we talk about. And here, from what I know, Sweden and Iraqi Kurdistan have had good relations.
Sweden has, of course, been a role model when it comes to the welfare state and democratic values. It is one of the most democratic countries in Europe and in the world. Here, it becomes important that in the relations that we have with Iraqi Kurdistan, we draw inspiration from each other. To exchange experiences, to give and take what good things can be implemented in Iraq and Kurdistan.
But as we know, unfortunately, with the war in the Middle East and around Kurdistan and the war in Rojava, the Kurds have not had time to think about how to try to both consolidate the status in Iraqi Kurdistan and hopefully develop it, because they are always occupied with the conflicts around them. Therefore, it’s very important that, as politicians from the West, from Sweden, from Germany, from the UK, we also work for a peaceful solution to the great Kurdish issue.
With peace, I believe that other freedoms and reforms will also come.
Sweden has previously provided aid to Rojava through other organizations. How do you think you can ensure that the aid continues to flow?
I am an opposition politician. It is not the Social Democrats who are in government in Sweden, it is other parties, conservative parties together with SD [Sweden Democrats] who have the government power. We have previously made sure that the aid to Syria, all areas in Syria, including the Kurds in Rojava continues. Just last week, I actually had an interpellation debate with Foreign Minister Maria Malmstrom from the Moderates about this question, how the government should concretize its aid to Syria so that Sweden continues to provide aid to Syria.
Even after the change of power, now, when HTS, also called Tahrir al-Sham, is ruling in Syria, Sweden continues with the aid. And in my question about this, she [the foreign minister] responded that it’s important that the aid also reaches the Kurds in Rojava. And here, of course, it’s very important that organizations working in Syria make sure this aid reaches the people in Rojava. As politicians, of course, especially as an opposition politician, we have to constantly pressure the government, ask questions in various interpellations, meetings, debates, and demand answers.
I got an answer to this question, and we will continue to follow this development, but also especially follow how the aid is distributed in Syria because Sweden has not stopped giving aid to Syria, including to the Kurds.
After Turkey supported Sweden’s NATO application, Sweden took some actions against the Kurds, including, for example, the extradition of certain Kurdistan Workers’ Party suspects. Do you think Sweden’s NATO membership will leave a permanent negative impact on Sweden’s policy towards the over 100,000 Kurds who live here?
They are two different questions. We have thousands, maybe close to a hundred thousand, Kurds in Sweden who are Swedish citizens. They are Swedish, and they are part of Swedish society at all levels, in cultural life, the job market, political life, everywhere you find Swedish Kurds. Through their work, through their contribution, they try to be part of building the new Sweden and developing the country, and it’s nice to see that.
The NATO process was a tough process for all of Sweden.
It’s very important to remember why Sweden chose to apply for NATO. It was after Russia’s horrific occupation war against Ukraine and its threats against the EU and particularly against Finland and Sweden.
Sweden and Finland were targeted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a letter sent to all EU countries. And in this process, unfortunately, Turkey, which has been a NATO member for decades, used this process against the Kurds, against the Kurdish struggle for their rights, and pressured a country like Sweden, which has always been a home for Kurds, especially for Kurds who have developed both their language and their Kurdish literature. Sweden has been an important country for supporting all parts of Kurdistan.
All four parts of Kurdistan have received significant political support from Sweden. This is what Turkey tried to stop through various arguments, especially claiming that Sweden supports terrorism. And that’s not the case. Sweden has never supported any terrorist organizations. Sweden has never given military or economic support to terrorist organizations. But we also know that the goal was really to stop the sympathy after the Kobane resistance, which resonated in Europe, especially in Sweden. Sweden has had great diplomatic relations with the Rojava administration, and Turkey didn’t like that. Turkey was annoyed by this, and when the NATO process came up, Turkey saw its chance to use this against Sweden.
The first agreement in Madrid - if you look at it - you know that Turkey fought for Sweden to label the YPG/SDF and the PYD [Democratic Union Party] as terrorist organizations but Sweden refused to do so.
Even in Lithuania, Turkey tried to get Sweden to label the YPG/SDF and PYD as terrorist organizations. Sweden didn’t do that. Sweden has said that it’s very important to have good relations with all NATO members, but then also, of course, you must not turn a blind eye. So there were some extraditions to Turkey. I’m not familiar with the individual cases for connections to PKK and such. But some extraditions were made that caused reactions within the Swedish Kurdish population.
So today, now that Sweden is a NATO member after the process, I can only conclude that Kurds continue to fight for their legal democratic rights.
The Kurdish civil society organizations continue to work. Swedish Kurds continue to live and work and contribute to Swedish society in all areas. During that process, Turkey tried to score political points and show their domestic opinion - to show how tough we can be against Europe and put them in their place. Now, after the process is done, we see again how all European countries - including Sweden - actually, when needed, criticize Turkey and urge Turkey to follow international law and human rights and also seek peace with the Kurds. To make peace with the Kurds, especially in Turkey and Rojava.
European countries such as France and Germany have openly expressed their support for Rojava Kurds and the Syrian Democratic Forces. What can Kurdish politicians in Europe do to ensure that Kurdish politicians in Sweden follow the same line?
You must ensure two things. There are civil society organizations in Sweden, such as the Kurdish National Association, the Kurdish Community Center, and many other organizations that work in Sweden. It is very important that these organizations, together with other political parties that have their representatives here in Sweden, work together and that they have a common line.
When it comes to the issue of Kurdish rights, when it comes to raising awareness about what is happening in Rojava and informing, for example, Swedish society or European society about what’s happening in Kurdistan, these organizations play a very important and significant role.
The other thing is, yes, there are various parliaments, different parliaments in Europe. Politicians with Kurdish roots. And it is also important that these politicians, who are in different parliaments in their parties, together with their parties, raise this issue and highlight it based on Europe’s interests. But here in Sweden, since we are Swedish politicians, we think from Sweden’s perspective. So we highlight these issues because it is in Sweden’s interest that we have a stable region in the Middle East.
And the Kurds have been an important actor, an important partner in the fight against Daesh [Islamic State, ISIS], against Islamic fundamentalism. They have made huge contributions. They have fought for, essentially, Europe’s security, including Sweden’s security. It’s very important that we stand up for our partners, that we stand up for the organizations that Sweden and Europe have collaborated with and continue to collaborate with.
This issue was recently raised in the Swedish parliament last week. I can tell you that the foreign minister, even though we don’t belong to the same party - she belongs to the Moderates, I belong to the Social Democrats - we are opponents as political parties. She also stressed that, for example, SDF is a very important partner for the international coalition against Daesh. And she thinks it’s very important that there be peace between the Kurds and Turkey in Rojava.
She also welcomed, for example, the dialogue between Damascus and the Kurds, and that this transitional period that Syria is going through should be inclusive, transparent, and open to all ethnic and religious minorities, including women. Then, of course, there are nuances between, you know, between my party and the Moderates in the government.
We think it’s very important that one adheres to international law and international rights. And right now, Turkey is violating international law and human rights through its occupation of Afrin, by being an occupying power in 15 percent of Syria and especially in the Rojava area. And the war that is currently going on due to its support for jihadist groups, Islamist groups.
I think this is a violation of international law, a violation of international rights, and it also contradicts this [NATO values]. Turkey also claims that they are part of the international coalition against Daesh, but they are fighting against the international coalition’s intentions and goals. This leads to the region becoming unstable, and terrorist organizations like Daesh, ISIS have the opportunity to advance.
These issues must be highlighted by the Kurdish civil society organizations that exist in Sweden, among others, but also in other parts of Europe, and together with their friends.
The Kurds have many friends in Europe, in parliaments, in cultural life. So through them, raising these issues in parliaments and with governments, that’s what Kurdish civil society and politicians can do together.
I believe that the meeting between President Masoud Barzani and General Mazloum Abdi could become an important milestone in Kurdish history when it comes to defending the political gains in Rojava and Bashur [Kurdistan Region]. I also think that when the Kurds show a united front, more countries will feel motivated to support the Kurdish struggle for self-determination.
Has Sweden planned to open a diplomatic mission in Rojava, and if not, would you work towards that?
I can’t answer that exact question about whether there are plans to open such a mission. But considering the situation in Rojava and all that’s going on, I think that, above all, it’s important right now to make sure that the attacks against Rojava cease. From the EU, where Sweden is a member, together with the US and the international coalition, we should push Turkey to stop its attacks on Rojava and that they enter into peace with the Kurds.
When peace comes, then I believe that the international community will try to open diplomatic missions in the region.
What is important now is that we focus on stopping the war, because there is a horrific war going on. There’s a risk that it could trigger a major humanitarian disaster, especially with al-Hol camp and Roj camp with the ISIS prisoners. So, it is very sensitive. I believe we need to put our energy into stopping the war first.
Then, of course, when the area is somewhat stable, I think discussions about opening missions in Rojava will naturally arise, like what has been done in Iraqi Kurdistan. But stability is key.
