In a written statement, the Central Executive Committee of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) said that it was Damascus that had failed to uphold its commitments, stressing that the ongoing attacks amounted to an attempt to blow up the ground for negotiations.
The statement read as follows:
“Since 2011, the conflict-ridden process that has mortgaged the future of the peoples of Syria is facing the risk of entering a new spiral of violence. Developments on the ground show not that a solution is being pursued, but that non-solution is being deliberately deepened in a planned manner, and that armed imposition against the will of the peoples has once again been put into effect.
I. Syria needs not new fronts, but an untested, courageous peace and an equal social contract
Despite the decision to halt clashes in Aleppo, reports reaching the public indicate that the siege imposed on the neighborhoods of Ashrafieh (Eşrefiyê) and Sheikh Maqsoud (Şêxmeqsûd) has been reintroduced, communication with the area has been cut off, and civilians have been targeted. Blockades imposed on civilians constitute an unacceptable crime.
The search for peace and a solution is being overshadowed by military impositions and perception operations. The targeting of the same area with heavy weapons immediately after the meetings held in Deir Hafir (Dêr Hafir) between the International Coalition and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) constitutes an open provocation.
Following the consensus reached in Deir Hafir, the attitude of Ahmed Al-Sharaa (al-Jolani) and the jihadist structures under his chain of command continues in the areas of the Tishrin Dam, Tabqa, Raqqa, and the countryside of Deir ez-Zor (Dêra Zor). These attacks are aimed at sabotage.
The fact that these attacks took place at the very hours when SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi announced his decision to withdraw forces from eastern Aleppo and reposition them east of the Euphrates, and declared goodwill, constitutes an attempt to blow up the ground for negotiations.
The attitude of the Interim Damascus Government serves not a solution, but non-solution. Through smear campaigns and perception operations, the space for dialogue is being deliberately eliminated. The party that violated the March 10 Agreement and failed to remain loyal to its commitments is the Interim Damascus Government.
The seriousness of political will for a solution is measured not by words, but by practice. The crisis in Syria is political; therefore, a lasting solution cannot be achieved by merely recognizing some of the peoples’ rights at a cultural or civil level. A permanent and political solution cannot be realized through decrees, but through a constitutional settlement.
A democratic constitution must be drafted in Syria. The self-will of peoples and beliefs must be recognized, and their rights must be placed under guarantee. In a system where the rights of Alawites, Druze, and Christians are not recognized and freedom of belief is not guaranteed, it is not possible to speak of social peace.
For this reason, democratization and a decentralized structure must extend across all of Syria and be placed under constitutional guarantee. People of different identities and beliefs should not be forced to live under the name of the Syrian Arab Republic; they must become dignified, equal, and free stakeholders of a Democratic Syria. Syria needs not new fronts, but an untested, courageous peace and a social contract in which all peoples are equal.
II. We call on the state and government in Turkey to act as a conciliatory force in Syria
While a resolution process is being pursued in Turkey, the partisan policies followed simultaneously in Northern and Eastern Syria constitute complete political hypocrisy. On the one hand, a search for peace is being carried out; on the other, policies targeting Kurdish gains are being implemented. This contradictory attitude calls sincerity into question and harms the process.
We call on the executive branch, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, to immediately abandon policies that damage Turkish–Kurdish relations. All dirty propaganda and approaches directed against the status and democratic gains of Kurds in Syria must be abandoned.
You cannot refer to those you call ‘citizens’ on this side of the border and treat them as ‘enemies’ on the other. This opens irreparable wounds in the memory of the people. Peace requires a comprehensive will; one cannot be constructive in Turkey and destructive in Syria. Peace comes to life not in discourse, but in practice. It is essential that Syria policies be aligned with the will for peace in Turkey.
During the meeting held on January 17 with Abdullah Öcalan, assessments were made regarding the situation in Syria. Mr. Öcalan described the ongoing clashes in Syria as efforts to sabotage the Peace and Democratic Society Process. He emphasized that the problems in Syria can be resolved through dialogue, negotiation, and collective reason, and expressed a clear will to assume responsibility in this regard.
Mr. Öcalan expressed deep concern over the current course of development and called on all parties to act with restraint. The conditions under which Mr. Öcalan can play a more active role in this critical process must be created urgently.
As the DEM Party;
* We underline that the attacks targeting Rojava have reached a level that threatens regional peace. All regional states, particularly those that have assumed responsibility for the reconstruction of Syria, must contribute to securing Kurdish–Arab peace and peace among peoples and beliefs in Syria.
* We call on the state and government in Turkey to act in Syria not as an actor that incites the parties, but as one that reconciles them and holds them together.
* We demand the lifting of the siege imposed on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo, the immediate cessation of attacks in Deir Hafir, the Tishrin Dam, Tabqa, Raqqa, and the Deir ez-Zor region, and the reactivation of the path of dialogue and a constitutional solution.
* Defending peace in Syria also means defending the equality and shared future of the peoples of the Middle East. We share with the public that we will persist on this line.”