Opposition figure says Kurdish PYD coordinates with Assad in suppressing people

(By Abdullah al-Ghadawi; Translation by Yusra Ahmed)

Fouad Aliko, member of the Political Committee in the Syrian National Coalition for revolutionary Forces and Opposition, a member of the Kurdish national Council, talked to Zaman al-Wasl about the internal differences in the Kurdish politics and their attitude from the Syrian revolution and regime.

Q1- Why has the number of parties comprising the Kurdish national Council decreased from 15 into 6?

There was 15 parties in the first conference for the Kurdish national Council in 26-October-2011, however, many changes took place after long time passed since the beginning of the Syrian revolution resulted in withdrawal of some parties, disappearing of other small ones, beside that 5 parties got united and formed one party. In the latest conference in 2015, there were 12 parties, not 6 only.

Q2- What is your role as Kurdish National Council in regard to what has been happening in the Kurdish areas like Ain Alrab (Kobani) and Hasaka- Tal Abyadh, we have not seen any presence of you there?

After the deviation of the Syrian revolution from peaceful into armed, the sound of political movements disappeared from almost all Syria including the Kurdish areas, especially after the Democratic Union party (PYD) held the security file in the Kurdish areas, where it practiced suppression more brutal than the Syrian regime’s against the peaceful demonstrations. The PYD used sometime direct shooting on demonstrators in Kobani, and tortured detainees where Hanan Hamdosh died under torture. Even many members of the National Kurdish Council are still in PYD’s prisons till now. I can say that Kurdish National Council is there in the hearts of Kurdish people, but amid the recent circumstances where the say is for power like most parts of Syria, the sound of it has disappeared especially after the PYD’s practices and the mandatory military service it enforced, caused the youth to escape.

Q3- What is your explanation for latest meeting of the National Kurdish Meeting in Hasaka openly with the Syrian regime’s awareness?

You know that the Syrian regime has handed the security file to the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which tries to look as opposition party, it is part of the national Coordinating movement and introduce its agenda as the third current of the Syrian Revolution, it negotiated with the Syrian regime in Moscow as opposition, and dealt with some formations of the Free Syrian Army in Kobani and showed cooperation with the National Kurdish Council from one side and practiced suppression against its members from the other. In the same time, the Syrian regime maliciously watches the scene from distance and in the same time it tries to keep the Kurdish matter away from its direct actions as long as there are many parties do the job, to look as if it protects the minority and make the Syrian revolution looks as a pure Islamic Sunni revolution. Therefore the meeting of the National Kurdish Council in Hasaka came within this complicated picture.

Q4- What is the real size of you power on ground as a Kurdish opposition and where do you base?

After militarization of the Syrian revolution, some small parties were formed, however they were not able to stay and survive especially with the fast growing of PYD which controlled the Kurdish areas. In regard to the National Kurdish Council, it still has its popularity among Kurdish people, but people cannot express their opinion because they live under the suppression of PYD.

Q5- how come that you describe PYD as “militias”, in the same time you call for negotiations with them?

PYD is a political left-winged strict Marxist party, it does not have national agenda but it calls to build a Democratic nation of all the community’s components, and the community cradle of the party is Kurdish people. In regard to People’s Protection Units YPG, they are part of the PYD and are considered the military wing of it, therefore, we negotiate with the political aspect of the party trying to find a common vision to the Kurdish Syrian status. We have signed many agreements with them, but none of these agreements was implemented because of the deep differences between both of us in visions, attitude from the Syrian revolution and the Syrian regime, beside the regional alliances. Moreover, their dominating attitude make them unable to cooperate with any party on ground, they need followers to implement their agendas. By the way they signed an agreement with the National Coalition via the Coordinating Movement on 24-July this year, but I am sure they will not get abide by it and can change their attitude according to their benefits.

Q6- As a member of the Political Committee, what are the outcomes of your talks with the American delegation and what is the American attitude from al-Assad and its stay in power?

The American attitude toward the Syrian revolution has not changes since the beginning, as it supports the Syrian people’s aims to overthrow al-Assad, however, they have not given the armed opposition the needed support to change the balance on ground in order to force al-Assad to accept a political solution based on Geneva1 and forming a transitional Government. But after the widespread presence of the terrorist Islamic State ISIS in Syria and Iraq and the international movement to fight it, the American attitude has change trying to force the Syrian regime to accept the political solution. There are many signs pointing to changes in the way of dealing with the Syrian file, and that what we felt from the meeting with the American new delegation.

Q7- How does the Political Committee evaluate the Iranian initiative and visit to Russia, and what are your expectations?

Nobody was interested in the Iranian Initiative, as Iran supportive to the party that killing the Syrian people, it is the main provider to the Syrian regime with military, political and man-power forces. All its initiatives attempt to rehabilitate the Syrian regime under fighting terrorism cover,

In regard to the visit of the National Coalitions’ members to Russia, we have received invitation from Russia and we hope to feel changes in the Russian attitude from the Syrian crisis and Syrian people’s goals of dignity and freedom, as Russia and China are the main supports of the Syrian regime in the security council and had stopped 4 decisions against the Syrian people.

Zaman Al Wasl