Autonomous Administration: We are ready for dialogue with all parties

Following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria earlier today, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria made a statement in front of the Autonomous Administration building in Raqqa.

‘The regime ignored the national and cultural identities of Syrians’

Speaking here, Autonomous Administration Executive Council Co-Chair Evin Siwêd stated the following: “First of all, we congratulate all the Syrian people on the fall of the cruel Syrian regime and salute our people who sacrificed their most precious values for freedom and equality. After 14 years of struggle and conflict, the cruel Syrian regime has fallen with all its institutions and army. This regime ignored the national and cultural identities of Syrians, pursued a policy contrary to democratic forces and denied the rights of the Syrian people. Based on nationalism, religion and sectarianism, it caused Syria’s plight. It has caused the death of hundreds of thousands of people and the displacement of millions of Syrians. As the components of North and East Syria, where our regions suffered the most oppression, we have lost thousands of martyrs in the defence of our people and experienced countless violations of our rights.

‘The unstable regime is the cause of what is currently happening in Syria’

In the past years of the revolution, despite all local and international efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Syrian problems, the regime continued its exclusionary policies and avoided serious and constructive dialogue. It was based on a policy of buying time to pave the way for the wider escalation of the Syrian crisis. This unstable regime is the cause of what is currently happening in Syria. As the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, during the crisis years, we provided every opportunity to achieve a peaceful solution to the problems in Syria, but the Syrian regime did not respond to these efforts and is therefore responsible.

‘We will work to preserve the integrity of the Syrian territory’

We declare that we are committed to the measures we have worked on in the past. As a part of the structure and geography of Syria, we will work to preserve the unity of the Syrian people and the integrity of the Syrian territory. We will use the language of peaceful dialogue to solve the problems in Syria without excluding any side. We affirm that we will play a leading role in building a democratic and diverse Syria that guarantees the rights of all Syrian people without discrimination.

‘Let us turn this phase into a new page’

We call on all political forces in Syria to take the past into account, learn from it, and work to free the country from this scourge. Let us turn this phase into a new page where we can cooperate together to reach agreements that will serve the interests of the entire Syrian people. As the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, we are ready for dialogue, and we extend our hand to all parts of Syria to draw the signs of the future Syria together.”