New Syrian presidential adviser Mustafa “Mazloum” Abdi described the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after 15 years of armed activity as “an end and a beginning at the same time.”
“Today, for the first time, Kurds have an opportunity to participate, of their own free will, in building the new Syrian state, after the Baath regime pursued policies that denied Kurdish identity,” he stated.
In his first interview with a Turkish media outlet, the former SDF commander said the main objectives of Syria’s Kurds were “not to establish an entity separate from the state, but to become one of the constituent elements of the new state with their own identity, and to expand the gains that have been achieved through constitutional guarantees.”
He also stressed the need for Kurds to take part in the process of drafting a new Syrian constitution.
No deadline has been set for the completion of the process and a committee for drafting it should be formed in two to three months. “We want Kurds to be part of the committee,” he added.
Dissolution of the SDF
Abdi, who is on Türkiye’s terrorism list, told Ilke TV in an interview broadcast Thursday night that Kurds “experienced a particular situation in the region. They lived as a state, and political developments required that, but some changes have taken place recently.”
“The Syrian regime has changed, and a new Syria is being built. The international community wants the current Syrian administration to succeed, and the entire world supports Syria’s unity,” he remarked.
In written responses to questions from the Turkish newspaper Yeni Yasam published Friday, he noted that Kurds could have achieved more through the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria over the past 15 years, but had not done so.
He added that “the SDF joined the Syrian army with all its resources, under an agreement and a plan. We decided to take our place within this structure, and it has a role within the Syrian army.”
Asked about recognition of Kurdish as a mother tongue, Abdi replied that “we are now at a more advanced stage. For the first time, the Kurdish language has been introduced in schools, and this is a major achievement” for the Kurdish people.
New system of government
“Syria also wants to open up to the international community and comply with international law. Therefore, there is greater scope for establishing a democratic and secular state in the new era,” Abdi added.
He stressed “the need to resolve the problems of all segments of Syrian society,” noting that “the problem of democratic governance remains, and we will work hard to resolve it through political action.”
“The main task facing the Syrian state is to ensure a strong presence within the state for Druze, Alawites, Kurds and all other groups, and efforts are underway to achieve that,” he said.
Asked about his role as an adviser to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, he explained: “Frankly, the reason we agreed to be present in Damascus during this process is to ensure its success, achieve integration and ensure that Kurds obtain the strongest possible position within the state. That is our main objective.”
“However, our demand is for broader inclusivity. We want to play a positive and constructive role throughout Syria, not only in Kurdish areas,” he went on to say.
On the process underway in Türkiye to dissolve the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), disarm it and integrate its members into society, he said the process between PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and Ankara “could contribute to resolving the Kurdish issue in Syria.”
He also expressed openness to developing relations with Türkiye moving forward.
Asked about reports that he could visit Türkiye to meet Ocalan, he gave no clear answer, remarking only: “That would be good.”
