Mekdad’s statements rhyme with Turkish position towards AANES, Syrian politicians
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The recent statements of the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Faisal Mekdad rhymes with the Turkish position towards the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), Syrian politicians said on Thursday.
Mekdad accused, through pro-government media outlets, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the AANES of carrying out a separatist project under American tutelage.
Mekdad said the problem with the SDF is that “we agree with them [SDF] on something, and when the Americans oppose it, they decline.”
“The SDF should not count on the US as the latter will exploit them. No separatist scheme can be implemented in Syria whoever is behind it,” Mekdad added.
Abdurrahman al-Issa, a political researcher from the city of Raqqa, said the Syrian government’s media discourse toward northeastern Syria “has not changed and will not change in the near term.”
Al-Issa told North Press that officials of the Syrian government want to put pressure on the region by issuing negative statements regarding the AANES and the SDF, forgetting the achievements that were fulfilled in the region by them.
Al-Issa considered that Mekdad’s statements were an attempt to get closer to the Turkish government to strengthen the security coordination that has not been interrupted over the past years, and the target is the SDF and the AANES.
The politician pointed out that the official Syrian outlets is trying to demonize the experience of the AANES, based on the official Syrian position, which seeks to move the situation in Syria back to before 2011.
He indicated that there is no solution in Syria except in following the vision of dialogue and recognizing the demands of the Syrian people, including the existence of the AANES and a political solution in accordance with the UN resolution 2254.
The resolution 2254 was issued at the end of 2015 and stipulated an immediate ceasefire in Syria, the start of political negotiations and the holding of elections within 18 months.
“Through his statements, Mekdad wanted to send a direct message to Ankara about the convergence of the official Turkish and Syrian positions towards the Autonomous Administration,” Firas al-Qassas, head of Modernity and Democracy for Syria Party, said.
Mekdad’s statements are suspiciously consistent with the outcomes of the Astana Peace Talks which reveal a hostile view toward the Autonomous Administration held areas, according to al-Qassas.
The outputs of Astana Peace Talks, the 17th round of which ended a few days ago, focused on fighting separatist projects and preserving the independence and territorial integrity of Syria.
“The Syrian and Turkish regimes carry the same nationalist ideology that is hostile to democratic experiments, as they are tyrannical regimes,” al-Qassas told North Press.
He considered that the Syrian and Turkish governments are afraid of the success of the Autonomous Administration’s project as a democratic experiment in this authoritarian environment.