Ocalan says March 10 SDF–Damascus deal could ease Syria process
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan said on Tuesday that implementing the March 10 agreement – signed between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian transitional government – could ease and accelerate the political process in Syria.
In a New Year message shared by the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, Ocalan addressed the agreement signed between the SDF and the Syrian government, describing it as a step that could open the way for democratic dialogue and reduce tensions if fully implemented.
Ocalan stressed that the agreement reflects a demand for a democratic political model that allows Syria’s communities to govern themselves collectively, based on equality and shared decision-making.
He added that the deal also provides a basis for democratic integration that could be negotiated with a central authority.
“The implementation of the March 10 agreement will ease the process and accelerate it,” Ocalan said, emphasizing that Turkey’s role as a facilitator, constructive actor, and open party to dialogue is of “vital importance” in this phase.
He linked Syria’s prolonged crisis to what he described as decades of authoritarian, exclusionary governance, arguing that the Kurdish issue—at the heart of many regional crises—can only be resolved through social peace and democratic reconciliation, not military or security approaches.
Ocalan also highlighted women’s freedom as a core pillar of any democratic society, saying lasting peace is impossible without dismantling patriarchal mindsets and ending the culture of war.
Referring to the situation in Syria, he said the country’s chaos underscores the urgent need for democratization, noting that demands for freedom and equality among Kurds, Arabs, Alawites, and other communities have long been suppressed.
Ocalan concluded by calling for the new year to be a year of peace rather than war, urging democratic reconciliation, dialogue, and a shared future for the peoples of Turkey, Syria, the Middle East, and beyond.