Ilham Ehmed, Co-Chair of the Foreign Relations Department of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, delivered a speech at the 6th Middle East Peace and Security Forum organized by the American University of Kurdistan in the city of Duhok in the Federal Kurdistan Region. Hundreds of political representatives, diplomats, and academics from Turkey, the Middle East, and many countries around the world are attending the event which kicked off on Tuesday.
Ilham Ehmed said, “Peace in the Middle East is a fundamental issue based on several principles. One of these is the mindset that needs to be reshaped on the basis of strengthening peace, and the solution is decentralized governance. Another important factor in building peace is the recognition of the rights of peoples and entities. These include the rights of the Kurdish people, which were violated during the previous Baath regime. We now emphasize that this issue must be resolved in the new Syria.”
Ehmed also highlighted the importance of women’s participation in the process, saying, “The issue of women is one of the fundamental matters that, if not resolved, will prevent the resolution of the peace issue. This is because the issue of women directly affects the issue of social peace, which will form the basis of political peace and coexistence. This issue must be resolved through a constitution and laws that can be achieved through decentralization.”
Ilham Ehmed stated that Damascus, as a decision-making center, cannot establish authority over every region of Syria, and continued: “The diversity in the country, different beliefs, and women’s issues cannot be resolved through dictatorship and monolingualism. If this issue is not resolved, it could lead to wars and conflicts. Much blood has been shed in Syria, and the war has weakened Syrian society. Therefore, it is time for peace among the peoples, and understanding among the different components.”
Ilham Ehmed noted that the Syrian state is a product of the Sykes-Picot Agreement and that all the problems they have raised remain unsolved: “We believe that these problems have led to conflicts in Syria and other parts of the Middle East. The new administration in Damascus claims to be solving these important problems. However, we do not believe they do this through dictatorial methods. We have both criticism and comments about the measures they have taken so far. At the same time, we are in dialogue with them because we believe that this is a time for dialogue and peace.”