SNC new structure reflects pure Turkish aims, politicians
ERBIL, KRG, Iraq (North Press) – Syrian politicians unraveled what happened behind the curtain regarding the new structure of the opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC), stressing that it was a multi-purpose Turkish plan, most notably aimed at achieving managerial legitimacy in line with Turkey’s interests in the areas under its control in northern Syria.
The politicians’ comments came following some steps the SNC has taken for the past two weeks, in what they called it the “reform” in its structure and components. These measures were met with doubt and rejection from those who got excluded from it.
The SNC’s latest modifications made a fuss in the opposition circles and was followed by the withdrawal of some figures and blocs.
The new components, in the so-called reform at the expense of those who were excluded, were the Syrian Kurds Independent Association and new members of Kurds and Turkmens after they maintained their number, in a phone call with North Press, the co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), Riyad Dirar, said.
The purpose after this act, according to Dirar, was to use them later by Turkey in northern Syria to draw a new demographic map in case it reached an agreement with Damascus.
Disputes and fate of excluded
“There are significant differences within the coalition’s body that have been evident between president of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly, who is the most dominant man in the coalition and is largely backed by Turkey, Abdurrahman Mustafa, and Secretary-General of the SNC,Naser al-Hariri, leading to a collision between the two, in addition to others such as Ahmed Ramadan, over contracts and agreements,” the co-chair of the SDC said.
There are many people in the SNC who can’t express their rejection because they are residing in Turkey and cannot speak freely, he noted.
Speaking of the fate of the excluded, Dirar thinks some of them would just stay where they are, and others may stay in SNC with the help of some mediators, stressing that it all depends on Turkey.
“No one can move without receiving the green light from Turkey,” Darar said.
In early April, the SNC took several decisions to reform and modify the internal system expelling 18 members and replacing four others with new ones.
The excluded are expected to remain silent because “their role is over, and they do not hold any sway,” according to Dirar.
“Those residing abroad will return home, and those who have business will be busy doing their work. In the end, none of them care about their revolution (the Syrian opposition revolution against the regime),” he added.
However, “Joining new parties within the SNC framework” is also possible, to make people say that the SNC is expanding and embracing new parties.
Affecting the Kurdish Dialogue
As for the reflection of these changes on the intra-Kurdish dialogue, Dirar said that there would not be any progress unless there was an American pressure on the parties involved, and, if happened, it will likely be in favor of the ENKS backed by Turkey and Erbil.
“This is not a source of concern if ENKS sets before itself the goal of building common interests with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and take part of the responsibility to work only as a Syrian council and in the service of the Syrian solution. This is the most important matter if this dialogue to be completed,” according to Dirar.
He recalled the common points reached by the Kurdish parties previously. However, the influencing Turkish position on the ENKS is “the reason behind breaking off the dialogue.”
“Working as operatives for other countries is in the nature of the SNC members,” Dirar said noting to the extent of external interference in the SNC.
“Now, Turkey is gaining ground, as the possible Turkish-Gulf and perhaps the Egyptian convergence enables Turkey to exclude these countries’ SNC members, allowing it to shape the Syrian trajectory in line with its interests,” he added
In the same context, the politician and writer, Ali al-Amin Suwayd, said that the new modifications in the SNC “blatantly prove Turkey’s power over the SNC decisions, ”despite ascribing the changes to its president, Salem al-Meslet.
Suwayd, who is a Syrian oppositionist, said that this power was so evident “to the extent that one of the discharged members phoned al-Meslet to ask him about the reason behind his expulsion, and the answer was “I don’t know”.
“What happened is totally normal as the SNC has become just a mercenary political group that only works to serve the Turkish interests,” according to Suwayd.
Four Turkish goals
Concerning the SNC new structure, he believes that Turkey wants to develop some plans that serve its political ends in the region.
On April 13, members of the SNC General Assembly voted to end the membership of several blocks in the coalition.
These blocks included the National Action Movement for Syria, the National Establishing Bloc, the Revolutionary Movement and the Independent Kurdish Movement. with Hisham Marwah and Naser al-Hariri kept as independent members.
“The goal after increasing the number of the Turkmens within the SNC and empowering its political decision, Turkey wants to make the SNC’s decisions seem likely to be taken by SNC itself, not by Turkey’s instructions,” he added.
As for choosing the new members from IDPs and settlers residing in the Turkish-held areas, Suwayd said that Turkey was changing the SNC’s track from toppling the Syrian regime to serving the Turkish interests in the Syrian areas it occupied.
Another goal of choosing IDPs and settlers is to cut off the path to dialogue and any possible agreement between the AANES and the coalition-affiliated ENKS, as “Turkey is afraid of any intra-Syrian convergence,” according to the politician.
The SNC’s latest moves indicate the possibility of giving up the Muslim Brotherhood (Saudi Arabia and UAE) at any moment, according to Suwayd.
He noted that the SNC hasn’t been internationally recognized since its establishment in 2012, and was only supported by Qatar in its seed stage.
“Then, they resorted to Turkey’s lab, and started to implement policies in line with the Turkish will,” the politician added, emphasizing that all the SNC moves including dialogue and negotiations with the regime and the pro forma meetings in Astana and Sochi and even the Constitutional Committee were directed by Turkey, Russia and Iran.
Turkey seeks to limit the SNC’s work to just being a facade in the areas it occupied, so it can legitimately control those areas the way it wants, Suwayd noted saying.