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Salih Muslim: Divorce Is Inevitable Between the Syrian Regime, Türkiye

Democratic Union Party Co-Chairman Salih Muslim (REUTERS)
Democratic Union Party Co-Chairman Salih Muslim (REUTERS)
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Salih Muslim: Divorce Is Inevitable Between the Syrian Regime, Türkiye

Democratic Union Party Co-Chairman Salih Muslim (REUTERS)
Democratic Union Party Co-Chairman Salih Muslim (REUTERS)

Salih Muslim, the co-chairman of the Democratic Union Party, the main party of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, has rejected the PYD having any links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Muslim, however, admitted that the PYD and PKK, which is blacklisted as a terrorist organization in Türkiye, share a “common philosophy.”

“They accuse our party of affiliation with the PKK so they can label us as terrorists as well and prepare for launching a war against the PYD,” Muslim told Asharq Al-Awsat in an interview.

“We believe that the PKK is not a terrorist organization, but it has been placed on the terror list based on Turkish demands and pressures,” added Muslim.

“It is true that we are ideologically similar to the PKK in the sense that we derive our ideas, work, and strategy from the ideas and theories of Abdullah Ocalan, because he is a Kurdish and global leader,” explained Muslim.

“However, we are not linked to the PKK in any organizational or membership form whatsoever,” he said.

Muslim considered that the meetings, which took place between the Syrian regime and Türkiye, are like a “forced marriage that is fated to end in divorce.”

“The parties that seek to complete this marriage, whether it is Russia or Iran, know and realize that it will not last, and its inevitable fate is divorce,” Muslim told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“There are great contradictions between Damascus and Ankara, and if this rapprochement achieves a political solution, it is welcome, and if it puts an end to this war, it is also welcome,” he added.

“I do not think that this normalization will develop and take the form of friendly relations, as it was before 2011. This is due to the great contradictions and differences between the Syrian state and Türkiye,” he explained.

The PYD, which was founded in 2003, has risen to prominence with the start of the Syrian civil war.

It, with the help of Arab, Christian, and Kurdish parties, established “autonomous regions” in three parts of northeastern Syria. These regions were established in areas where the population is mostly made up of Kurds.

During the siege of Kobani in 2014, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), a mainly Kurdish group affiliated with the PYD, gained the support of the US-led international coalition against ISIS.

With that help, the YPG secured control over territory located in four Syrian provinces. According to 2017 estimates, this territory amounted to one-third of the area of Syria.

Türkiye, concerned over the growth of the PYD’s influence, launched three military operations.

In 2016, it launched Operation Euphrates Shield. In 2018, it launched Operation Olive Branch. In 2019, it launched Operation Peace Spring.

These three military ventures resulted in the PYD and YPG losing control over key cities.

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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), told Asharq al-Awsat that global hunger increased sharply during the coronavirus pandemic, noting that the GCC countries were able to shield themselves from major shocks affecting food security.
Laborde added that global hunger affected over 152 million people, with no improvement in the past two years.
Today, 733 million people suffer from chronic hunger, and 2.3 billion face food insecurity, according to the UN annual report on “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.”

Laborde explained that the global economic crisis has worsened food insecurity, keeping hunger levels high.
Alongside this, climate shocks and conflicts are major causes of hunger. He also pointed out that food insecurity is closely tied to inequality, and the economic crisis, rising living costs, and high interest rates are deepening existing inequalities both within and between countries.
On whether economic diversification in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is boosting food security, Laborde said: “A move towards a more diversified economy and enhancing the ability to rely on various sources of food supplies are key drivers of food security resilience and stability.”
“GCC countries have managed to shield themselves from major shocks, primarily due to their high income levels and ability to cover import costs without difficulty,” he explained.
Regarding the FAO’s outlook on reducing global hunger, Laborde insisted that ending hunger will require a significant increase in funding.
When asked for suggestions on how governments could enhance food security, Laborde said: “Despite global figures remaining stable, improvements are seen in Asia and Latin America, showing that the right policies and conditions can reduce numbers.”
“Hunger is not inevitable. Investing in social safety nets to protect the poor, along with making structural changes to food systems to be more environmentally friendly, resilient, and equitable, is the right path forward,” emphasized Laborde.
The annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, published on Wednesday, said about 733 million people faced hunger in 2023 – one in 11 people globally and one in five in Africa.
Hunger and food insecurity present critical challenges affecting millions globally.
The annual report, released this year during the G20 Global Alliance for Hunger and Poverty Task Force ministerial meeting in Brazil, warns that the world is significantly lagging in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2—ending hunger by 2030.
It highlights that global progress has regressed by 15 years, with malnutrition levels comparable to those seen in 2008-2009.
Despite some progress in areas like stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, a troubling number of people still face food insecurity and malnutrition, with global hunger levels rising.