Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) General Commander Mazloum Abdi said that during his meetings at the Munich Security Conference, they called for a common international stance toward Rojava and requested international guarantees to ensure that the January 29 agreement is not violated.
Drawing attention to the meetings in Munich, Abdi said: “Our current expectation is the formation of a common stance toward Rojava. We were able to make our voices heard by everyone, and we want support for Rojava.”
Mazlum Abdi participated in Stêrk TV’s Special Program and answered journalists’ questions.
Regarding the purpose of the meetings in Munich, Abdi said that many incidents and attacks had taken place in Rojava over the past month and that their main expectation was to develop a common stance against the current situation. He emphasized that there is an agreement made on January 29 that must not be violated and underlined the importance of everyone being aware of and supporting this process. Abdi said political relations must continue and noted that some states and figures have also taken positions on the issue.
Call for support to ensure agreement is not violated
Stating that they were officially invited to the Munich Security Conference for the first time, Abdi said they attended as the SDF Command. He noted that some parties opposed their participation and did not want them there, describing the process as a new phase, particularly for the Kurds in Rojava.
Abdi said they observed a convergence in discussions about the need for a solution acceptable to both the Kurds and the Syrian government. He noted that they had previously met with officials from Damascus, but this was the first contact abroad.
He stated that their main goal is to obtain guarantees from all parties, especially guarantor powers, to ensure that the January 29 agreement is not violated. Referring to the collapse of the March 10 agreement in the past, Abdi stressed that the process must not break down again and called on regional and international powers to monitor and support it.
He added that they raised the issue of guarantees in their meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State, requesting U.S. support, and said that the Secretary indicated that implementing the agreement was one of Trump’s demands.
Open channels with Turkey
Abdi said that relations with neighboring countries have entered a new phase. He noted that, except for Turkey, they had previously maintained contact with other neighbors, though not at an official level. He said they had held many meetings with administrators and intelligence officials and that some contacts were not made public.
He also stated that there are open channels with Turkey and that neighboring countries support the current Syrian process.
We have been invited to the U.S.
Abdi said that public reactions to developments in Rojava are justified and that criticisms toward the U.S. and other powers have been voiced. He noted that in all meetings they conveyed that attacks should not occur, yet attacks still took place.
He argued that public reaction, along with the stance of certain circles and senators in the U.S., influenced the international approach and said the ceasefire achieved was a result of this process. He added that pressure from Trump also played a role in the ceasefire. Abdi said they want to move forward within the framework of a Syrian solution and that they have been invited to the U.S., and could go if the opportunity arises.
We want Turkey to play a positive role
Abdi stated that a ceasefire has been in place with Turkey for about eight months and that this is linked to the peace process between the PKK and Turkey. He said the outcome of that process would also affect the region and expressed their desire for Turkey to play a positive role.
He noted that statements by Turkish officials support the agreement and said they want those statements to be upheld. Abdi said a consensus has been reached on the basis of strong integration in which Kurdish rights in Syria will be protected and stressed that reconstruction support should cover all of Syria. He added that they discussed this issue with the German Foreign Minister and received a positive response.
We received letters from Imrali
Abdi said that two letters had recently come from Imrali and that their content concerned the implementation of the March 10 agreement. He added that before January 29, another letter had been sent to the SDF leadership regarding a solution, and that Imrali has influence over the agreements.
He stated that Syrian officials need to hold talks with Imrali, saying: “Syrian officials need to meet with Imrali. Some parties want to provoke war between Kurds and Arabs. Negative incidents have occurred, but that does not mean Kurds and Arabs are enemies. They have lived together in Kobanê and Cizîrê. During the 2011 process, ISIS and the Syrian state wanted to pit Kurds and Arabs against each other. They have lived together for a long time. There is a ceasefire and no war, but some are trying to incite tribes against the Kurds. We have also made mistakes. We have thousands of martyrs and wounded. There are Arab forces in the region allied with us. We live together as half Arab, half Kurdish. We will correct our mistakes and build a good future together.”
Our people’s united stance is a source of pride
Abdi said that the stance of the people and the diaspora influenced the approach of international powers and that unity has been achieved around the forces of Rojava. He stressed the need to form a strong political Kurdish unity and called for the establishment of a unified Kurdish organization in Rojava.
There must be women’s units in every brigade
Abdi said that women will take part in security forces, stating: “The absence of women in the Syrian army is a problem and creates legal difficulties. The women’s force is our red line. In the meetings, we discussed how women would take part within the army. We stated that there must be a women’s unit in every brigade. Until a legal solution is found, it should continue in this way.”
The struggle goes on
Abdi acknowledged that the process involves difficulties and said that revolutions do not always progress uninterrupted, but that they will continue the struggle to achieve their goals. He stressed that the people must not retreat and said that the gains achieved so far are not sufficient and that the struggle will continue until their status is strengthened.
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