Salih Muslim, a member of the PYD Co-Presidency Council, spoke to Xwebûn about the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and the President of the Syrian Democratic Administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa, as well as Turkey’s stance.
Muslim said they viewed the meeting as a new and positive step toward resolving the Syrian issue, and added: “The current context was suitable for taking a step forward. Preparations were already underway in the Shermeshk region and other areas. A joint decision has been made to combat terrorism. Al-Sharaa went to the U.S. for this purpose. Many issues were discussed during the meeting, and consensus was reached on several of them. The most notable point was the presence of the Turkish Foreign Minister at the meeting. He also participated in the talks. The meeting discussed the roles of Turkey, al-Sharaa, the U.S., the Syrian government, and the coalition forces. It is highly likely that consensus was achieved on many points. As the PYD, we view this meeting as a positive step for the Middle East.”
Lifting sanctions is also positive for us
Highlighting that the main issue for Syria’s security is the fight against terrorism, Muslim noted that besides ISIS, there are many groups operating effectively within Syria.
As to the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria, Muslim said: “Lifting the sanctions on al-Sharaa and his colleagues was meant to allow them to move more freely. However, commercial sanctions should also be lifted, because the Syrian people are the ones most affected by them. Lifting sanctions will also have positive results for us. In this way, the Syrian Democratic Council (MSD) will be able to act more freely. It will also have a positive impact on project development.”
Situation in North and East Syria will be clarified in Damascus
Muslim noted that the participation of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in the last meeting indicates that discussions were held regarding North and East Syria. He said that this issue has not yet been made public and that Shara will meet with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after returning to Syria.
Muslim predicted that a broad-based meeting would be held in Damascus in the coming weeks, with representatives from the U.S. and the coalition also attending. He said: “Turkey, the U.S., and al-Shara discussed and reached an agreement on the situation in North and East Syria. This issue will become clear in Damascus in the coming weeks.”
The 10 March Agreement is important for all of Syria
Muslim emphasized that the 10 March Agreement is important not only for North and East Syria but for all of Syria, and said: “The eight articles in this agreement benefit everyone, and everyone wants them to be implemented. However, there were those who opposed this agreement until now. Turkey, since it was not involved in the preparation and signing of the agreement, wanted it to be nullified. But now, since the Turkish Foreign Minister took part in the recent meeting, we can say that Turkey has accepted the agreement. During the preparation phase, many meetings were held, but the agreement could not be approved because all sides were focused on Turkey. Now, the talks are complete, and with the implementation of the 10 March 10 Agreement, many issues will be resolved, including the Kurdish question.”
Integration cannot happen without democracy
Stressing that Syria must undergo a democratic integration process, Muslim said: “Right now, there is both assimilation and integration. We want to integrate into Syria based on democratic principles.”
He emphasized that relations between the parties must be built on a legal foundation: “If one of the parties does not believe in democracy, integration cannot take place. Therefore, Damascus, like us, must believe in democracy, and the United States must support this.”
Muslim added that if current repressive policies continue, integration will not be possible: “If efforts to suppress and control continue, then we cannot talk about integration. For the SDF to ensure integration, the Damascus government must establish its own institutions.”