KNK co-chair Ahmet Karamus talked to ANF about Turkey’s stance on Rojava and the Kurdish question, and emphasized that the Kurdish movement has done its part for dialogue and peace, while Turkey has displayed an insincere approach.
Karamus said: “The Kurds have taken every step to protect their rights and gains. But Turkey is far from being an honest and trustworthy actor in this process. It constantly creates obstacles, stalls, and fuels deadlock.”
Karamus added that in Turkey, there is a struggle between those seeking a legal and peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue and a “deep state” faction opposing it. He pointed out that this deep state operates particularly under the leadership of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who consistently shows hostility toward Kurdish gains in Rojava, Başûr, Bakur, and Rojhilat.
Drawing attention to Fidan’s role during the 2013–2015 peace process, Karamus said that Fidan was instrumental in sabotaging it, and that today the same mentality cannot tolerate Kurds having status anywhere. Describing Fidan’s stance as “racist and hostile,” he stressed that Turkey’s visits to Damascus are aimed at cementing Turkey’s influence in Syria and dismantling Kurdish achievements.
Change for peace at risk of sabotage
Karamus said Turkey blocked the implementation of the March 10, 2025 agreement between the Damascus government and the SDF, calling this an attempt to sabotage peace. He recalled that the agreement foresaw the integration of the SDF’s military and civilian structures into the Syrian state and securing the rights of the Kurdish people: “Damascus is asking the SDF to hand over its weapons without guarantees. This is a clear attempt to dismantle Kurdish achievements. Turkey is pressuring Damascus in this direction and trying to prevent Kurds from having a role in Syria and Rojava.”
Karamus noted that Turkey’s pressure on Damascus has been reinforced by Fidan’s maneuvers, saying: “Fidan is forcing Damascus to impose on the SDF not a ‘block integration’ but only ‘individual participation.’ This is a plan to erase all Kurdish gains. The March 10 agreement is a historic opportunity for Syria. By integrating the Kurds into the system, it would be possible to form a joint front against threats like ISIS. But Turkey’s policy of fear and pressure is making Damascus a puppet and suffocating this hope. If the agreement were implemented, Rojava’s autonomy model would be an example of governance for the entire Middle East, and Turkey could use this model to solve its own Kurdish question. Instead, Turkey chooses to crush Rojava. This could lead to chaos not only in Syria but also in the region, including Turkey itself.”
Syria’s democratic transformation possible
Karamus described the “Conference of the Union of North and East Syria Components,” held on August 8 in Hesekê, as a promising step for Syria’s future. He recalled that the conference brought together nearly 400 representatives of Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Armenians, and other groups, and that it called for a new democratic constitution guaranteeing ethnic and religious rights, local autonomy, and rejecting centralism.
He said: “Hesekê presented a vision that held Syria’s diversity together. A pluralistic model could prevent post-war chaos and end conflict. It could have prevented the clashes targeting Druze in Sweida. Turkey’s fear of Kurdish gains undermines this hope. By manipulating Damascus, Turkey is condemning not only Kurds but all minorities to instability. This policy will deepen the regional crisis and push Syria back into conflict. It will also strengthen Kurdish resistance. No one should be under any illusion here.”
Karamus recalled that after the Hesekê conference, planned talks in Paris between the Autonomous Administration of Rojava and the interim Damascus government under the March 10 agreements were also blocked by Turkish pressure: “The Paris talks could have provided a transparent platform for discussing Kurdish rights and implementing the March 10 agreements. But Turkey, by exerting pressure through the Shara government, is blocking Syria’s, and thus the Middle East’s, democratic transformation. This is a policy that victimizes not only Kurds but all minorities and religious groups.”
ENKS must not fall into the Turkish state’s trap
Emphasizing the vital importance of the 26 April 2025 meeting in Qamishlo for Kurdish national unity, Ahmet Karamus underlined that Turkey, through manipulations of the ENKS, tried to undermine the results of this meeting. He continued: “After Assad’s fall in Syria, the overall picture became clear and Kurdish unity became inevitable. All sides in Rojava came to this conclusion. The Kurdish public also strongly demanded it. The efforts of the KNK, the calls of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, the initiatives of Mr. Mesut Barzani and Mr. Bafil Talabani, and the constructive efforts of Mr. Mazlum Abdi strengthened this process. The national unity declaration announced in Qamishlo foiled all the Turkish state’s sabotage attempts.”
However, he added: “I must note that we have heard reports that some groups within the ENKS are seeking to meet with Ahmed Shara in Damascus, and their spokespersons have not denied this. Such a fragmented stance would be extremely dangerous for Kurds. This is exactly the scenario desired by the Turkish state. As KNK, we will never accept this. Kurds must act from a single center and with the will of the April 26 agreement.
Our call to all sides is this: every attempt that undermines national unity must be avoided; otherwise Syria will be dragged back into its dark days, and plots targeting Kurds will also come into play. This is the policy and the game of the Turkish state. ENKS must not fall into this trap and must avoid fragmented talks and non-centralized positions. If the Kurds do not act together in this process, they may face a second Lausanne. The burden and responsibility of this would be immense. We hope everyone acts with this responsibility and awareness.”