Ahmet Karamus, Co-Chair of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), spoke to ANF about the recent attacks on Rojava and their visit to the region. Karamus said the attacks were the result of an international consensus aimed at eliminating the achievements of the Kurdish people and called on Kurdish political actors to adopt a “common strategy.”
‘The attacks on Rojava were the result of an international consensus’
In a self-critical assessment of the beginning of the process, Karamus stated that when the first attacks against the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah in Aleppo began, both the public and Kurdish political actors were late in analyzing the scope and objectives of the developments.
“We saw that this was not merely a move by HTS or the forces forming the Syrian government. It was an international consensus that included the approval of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and certain Western states. The aim was to completely eliminate the Kurdish achievements in Rojava,” he said.
Recalling that the KNK sent a delegation to the region to examine the danger on the ground and to support the people, Karamus described what they encountered: “We faced a massive wave of displacement. Our people, who had previously fled from Afrin and other regions in an attempt to rebuild their lives, were once again forced onto the roads of migration. This was also a planned operation of forced displacement and demographic change agreed upon by states.”
‘Our people took to the streets everywhere and demonstrated their will’
Karamus stated that international powers initially responded to the attacks with deep silence, which, however, was broken by the tremendous resistance of the Kurdish people. With the KNK and all political structures declaring mobilization, Kurds took to the streets everywhere from Europe to Sulaymaniyah, from Erbil to Bakur (Northern Kurdistan).
“Our people demonstrated their will with great motivation, both at their positions and in public squares. This determination forced the silent international powers, the US Senate, and parliaments in Europe to take action,” he said.
‘Our people are compelling us to achieve unity’
The KNK Co-Chair said that this manifestation of national unity sent a clear message to Kurdish political actors, stressing that fragmented politics is no longer an option. “By demonstrating their intent and struggle, our people are compelling us to achieve unity. Kurdish politics can no longer ignore this reality. This is a national duty. We must set aside partisan interests and create a common national policy and strategy,” he stated.
Karamus emphasized that lessons must be drawn from the past struggle against ISIS, warning: “The military victory against ISIS brought us international recognition, but with the recent attacks, we have once again seen the fact that the politics external powers pursue with us is limited. It is of vital importance that we transform this support into a lasting and common diplomacy.”
Recalling that the ongoing transformation process in the Middle East contains both major opportunities and serious dangers, Ahmet Karamus concluded: “Our people, both in the diaspora and in the homeland, have placed this duty before us: a common alliance, common diplomacy, and common politics across all four parts. We must analyze this process carefully and produce a synthesis in line with the interests of our people. This is the only way to safeguard our national interests.”
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