Ilham Ahmed, Co-Chair of the AANES Foreign Relations Department, stated on the second day of the 9th Sulaimani Forum that Turkey has consistently been the key threat to Rojava, emphasizing their reliance on their own strength for defense and political issues, while also highlighting the importance of forming alliances.
“We rely on our own strength in our regions for defense and political issues, and that is our only option, but it is important for us to form an alliance. There can be new alliances, and the truth is that we are trying to end many problems, particularly with Turkey, especially since Turkey has always been the main threat to us,” Ilham Ahmed said.
“Now I can say that we are in talks with them, indirectly and sometimes directly, so this is important to achieve peace and end tensions and conflicts,” she added.
SDF-Damascus Agreement Implementation Committees to Meet
On the topic of the new Syrian administration, Ahmed revealed that a committee has been established to discuss the implementation of the SDF-Damascus agreement, with meetings set to begin at the end of this month.
“It is important to follow up on how to implement the agreement between [Mazloum] Abdi and [Ahmed] al-Sharra, and now a committee has been formed to discuss how to implement the details and provisions of the agreement, and we are at this stage,” Ahmed said.
She mentioned that the meetings are expected to begin at the end of this month. So far, several agreements have been reached, including those concerning the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods and Tishreen Dam. However, certain points of the agreement remain suspended.
“There is understanding, and we hope for a deeper understanding on the issues of the constitution, political work, and the return of Syrian reconstruction. So, we see ourselves as an important and serious ally in the process of reconstruction in Syria,” she noted.
Ilham Ahmed Rejects Centralization and Advocates for Decentralization in Syria
During the Sulaimani Forum, Ahmed also spoke on the political system in Syria, emphasizing that decentralization is crucial for the country’s future.
She stressed that a wide range of Syrian communities, including the Druze, Alawites, secularists, and Christians, are opposed to centralization and are advocating for a decentralized system.
“Syria has experience with decentralization, and the rejection of decentralization by the authorities means new tensions. We do not want new tensions. Syria has seen enough migration, misery, and war,” she said. “We are serious about a political system based on partnership, but what is happening is determining the future of Syria unilaterally. The new Syrian authority announced a new constitution and government. We demand to participate in both and draw the roadmap together. As we know, the Druze, Alawites, some secularists, and some Christians, the majority of Syrians, reject centralization and demand decentralization.”
The 9th Sulaimani Forum opened on Wednesday at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS), bringing together prominent local and international leaders, officials, and experts to discuss critical political, economic, and security challenges facing Iraq, the broader Middle East, and the global community.
