The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Group Deputy Chair Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, who was among the members of the Parliamentary Commission for National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy that met with Abdullah Öcalan in Imrali on November 24, stated that the Kurdish leader proposed a two-pronged model for the future security structure in Syria during the meeting in question.
In an interview with the news portal T24, Koçyiğit also criticized the fact that essential content from Öcalan’s assessment of the situation in Syria had not been included in the summary published by parliament. She again called for the complete minutes to be made available to the public.
Koçyiğit said that Öcalan had suggested integrating part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into a central army, while another part would function as a local law enforcement unit.
Security model with local component
As Koçyiğit explained in her interview with Cansu Çamlıbel for T24, Öcalan proposed that part of the SD’Fs military forces could be integrated into the regular army, while the other part would take over regional security. Öcalan referred to the Turkish system of “guardians” who are active in public order. According to Koçyiğit, Öcalan’s remarks did not include the question of the complete disarmament of the People’s Defense Units (YPG) or their complete dissolution, which he said would not be right. Rather, he was concerned with the structural and political design of a democratic Syria.
Democracy as a core demand
In the interview, Koçyiğit emphasized that Öcalan had issued a clear warning: if there were no genuine democratization in Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s self-appointed transitional president, could develop into an authoritarian ruler. Öcalan therefore declared that “a democratic system is necessary for all the peoples of Syria”, otherwise, he warned, there would be a threat of a return to a new form of dictatorship.
According to Koçyiğit, Öcalan repeatedly emphasized that his political perspective—regardless of geographical location—was always based on a democratic model of society. The perspective he outlined applied not only to Syria, but also to Turkey and Iraq. The role of Kurdish forces, he said, could only be meaningfully defined within the framework of a pluralistic, decentralized model of statehood. “The question of whether YPG forces should be disarmed or integrated into an army is secondary,” Koçyiğit said. “The central question is what kind of system should be created.” Öcalan’s appeal is: “Return to the substantive debate.” He did not fundamentally reject the existing Syrian state.
Criticism of abbreviated presentation
Koçyiğit expressed clear dissatisfaction with the official summary of the parliamentary commission’s visit to Imrali, which was published at the committee’s most recent meeting on Thursday. Key statements by Öcalan, such as those on the democratization of Syria, the role of Kurdish actors, and his assessment of the transitional government, were completely omitted, she said. “These are precisely the issues that are of particular interest to the public. There is no comprehensible reason why the complete minutes should be kept under wraps. The current presentation allows for misinterpretations and speculative interpretations,” said Koçyiğit.
Mention of Kurdish leaders
According to Koçyiğit, Öcalan also mentioned leading Kurdish figures such as SDF Commander-in-Chief Mazlum Abdi and Ilham Ehmed, Co-Chair of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES).
Öcalan emphasized that they took his assessments seriously and were in contact with him. He also stated that his communication options with DAANES needed to be improved, she added.