Mazloum Abdi, General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), made important assessments regarding the talks with the Damascus administration and the ongoing attacks in an interview with Ronahî TV.
While stating that they are making efforts to finalize an agreement, Abdi warned that in the event of a possible attack, no one would emerge as a winner in the Kurdish regions.
Three main points
Abdi highlighted the following points in the interview: “We are trying to take certain steps during the current ceasefire period. There are three main points.
The first concerns the Kurdish regions. We want the Kurdish regions to protect their achievements and for there to be no war here. This concerns the preservation of governance as well as culture and language. There is consensus on these issues, but there are still matters that need to be resolved.
The second is the preservation of Hesekê within Syria. Until now, the Autonomous Administration has governed this area. The Autonomous Administration has institutions, and these need to be preserved. Discussions are ongoing about how these institutions will be integrated into the state structure.
Some issues have been clarified. Among them are matters such as the internal security forces remaining in their positions and continuing their duties in coordination with the state. Discussions are also continuing regarding the integration of the SDF.
In general, we want to implement this agreement and hope to clarify it in the coming days.
Ceasefire agreement
During the current ceasefire period, ISIS detainees located in areas under our control will be transferred. At the same time, we will focus on implementing the agreement reached with Damascus.
Our goal is to bring this agreement to a conclusion. According to the agreement, the Syrian army must not enter Kurdish villages and cities.
Many meetings have been held. The purpose of all these meetings was to maintain dialogue to ensure the ceasefire and implement the agreement.
International actors
Our communication channels are open. We are able to hold daily talks. The United States is involved in this process. French President Macron is also strongly involved. This is a transparent process; everyone knows what is happening.
We have also proposed names for the institutions we will take part in, such as positions like the Hesekê Governorship and the Deputy Ministry of Defense.
There are talks, but we can’t say real agreement has been reached
We want to be transparent with our people. Yes, there are talks, but we cannot say that a full agreement has been reached. There are points we have agreed on, as well as demands made of us and demands we have made. There are also issues that the Damascus government has not accepted.
How our demands will be approached depends on the Damascus government. When we speak of an agreement, we say that we have accepted the January 18 agreement; however, this has not yet been finalized. If conditions we cannot accept are imposed, this agreement may not succeed.
Kurdish unity achieved
We are in a good period regarding Kurdish unity. A unity has been achieved. The spirit of unity that emerged during the struggle against ISIS in 2014 has re-emerged.
In the political sphere as well, all Kurdish political forces stand with Rojava. I have met with all Kurdish leaders; all of them have offered strong support and are working actively.
During this period, we salute all Kurds and our friends who support Rojava. The strong stance displayed has had an impact on international powers as well as on the Damascus government. Reactions and resistance from Kurdistan, Europe, and different parts of the world have contributed positively to the process and have given us morale and strength.
Until the Kurdish cause in Rojava is secured, this honorable stance of our people and friends must continue and grow even stronger.
Kobanê will win again
Just as Kobanê broke the siege against ISIS in 2014, we believe it will do so again today. Kobanê will once again lead this process.
We asked the Damascus government not to enter Kobanê and its villages; they accepted this. They recognized this sensitivity. We want them to remain faithful to their promises in order to prevent a larger resistance from emerging.
Agreement must include Afrin and Serêkaniyê
For us, there is no difference between Kobanê, Afrin, and Qamishlo. In this agreement, we are talking about Kurdish specificity. This includes Afrin, Serêkaniyê, and Girê Spî (Tal Abyad), which are under Turkish state occupation and to which forcibly displaced people must return. Any agreement made for Qamishlo and Kobanê must also include Afrin and Serêkaniyê.
Things that the Kurdish people never deserved have taken place. Great chauvinism was displayed, severe insults were directed at Kurds, and unacceptable practices were implemented. Without a doubt, these will be held to account.
However, we must not fall into the traps of these chauvinist individuals. Some want to provoke war between peoples and try to make Kurds complicit in their ugliness. Our standards, morality, and historical stance are clear. Throughout history, we have never oppressed anyone; we have always been the ones subjected to oppression.
Today, there are many Arab fighters within our forces, and many of our Arab comrades have been martyred. The SDF has thousands of martyrs, and their families stand with us. Heavy prices have been paid. We must avoid sweeping generalizations. Our enemies want to create hostility among peoples; we must not fall into this game.
Why did we withdraw?
We withdrew from Tabqa, Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor for specific reasons. We did not want to fight to the very end there. Our goal was to expel ISIS from those areas, and we went there at the request of the people. However, later an atmosphere of hostility and provocation emerged. Foreseeing that it would turn into a meaningless war, we withdrew to regions where Kurds are the majority.
Red lines
Today the situation is different. Today we are defending our people and protecting the Kurdish regions. These regions are our red lines. We will defend them until our last fighter remains. No one can achieve victory here, and the war will not end here. Everyone must know this.
The fate of this struggle is not determined by military forces alone. No one should fall into the illusion of waging war against the Kurdish regions. I believe the Damascus government also does not want to go too far. Here, we want political struggle, not military confrontation, to come to the fore.”