Deputy co-chair of the Executive Council of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria, Hesen Koçer, told ANF that the alliance that the Turkish state has made with some Arab states is an attack on the Kurdish-Arab unity and alliance. He underlined that the Autonomous Administration will continue to stand against the liquidation of the Kurds and their gains. Koçer said: "We have to protect our revolution; our people, our democratic system, our gains."

Koçer spoke about the attacks by Damascus forces and Iranian-backed gangs on the Deir ez-Zor Canton on 7 July, the role of the Turkish state in these attacks, and the Turkish state’s plans for the region. Koçer said that the attacks had two main purposes: to create instability and chaos that will spread from Deir ez-Zor to all of Northern and Eastern Syria and to start a Kurdish-Arab war.

Koçer said that those involved in these attacks were gang groups affiliated with the Damascus government, and added that the Damascus government directed and coordinated this attack. "As a result of these attacks, civilians were killed. Many homes were destroyed, and civilian areas were damaged."

The Turkish state wants attacks to continue

Koçer noted that the Turkish state wanted the attacks to continue and therefore wanted to develop relations with the Damascus government and liquidate the Autonomous Administration, and added: "These attacks serve the interests of the Turkish state. These attacks on Deir ez-Zor prove that the Damascus government is not at the service of the Syrian people. It serves the Turkish state and other external powers. This situation does nothing other than deepen the Syrian crisis and spread the chaos within Syria even further. This is their real goal, anyway."

Turkey wants to eliminate Kurds and their gains

Kocer said that the aim of the Turkish state's efforts to form an alliance with Syria and Iraq is to liquidate the Kurdish people and the gains of the people of the region. He added that the attacks by the Turkish state on the region and the plans to cross into Syrian territory are not only to liquidate the Kurdish people because "they target all the peoples in the region. Turkey wants to realize the Ottoman dream. It wants to take the regions occupied by the Ottomans back under its own rule. It has established hundreds of military points in Iraq. It has occupied many cities in Syria. In this way, it is trying to establish its own power over the region. In this sense, both the regional states and especially Iraq and Syria need to stay away from such alliances. Unfortunately, today, Turkey is trying to liquidate the gains in South Kurdistan and Rojava through the alliances it has made with these powers."

‘Our main goal is to protect our gains’

Noting that the stance and unity of the Kurdish people here is very important, Koçer continued as follows: "The attacks on Rojava show that Turkey’s problem is not a party or anything. Its aim is the destruction of democratic forces, the democratic system of the people, their gains and the unity of the people. This is the policy of the Turkish state. Similarly, these latest attacks on Deir ez-Zor are not disconnected from this policy. The attitude displayed by the Arab people in the face of these attacks is especially valuable. The fact that the Kurds also stand by the people of Deir ez-Zor has presented a very good example of the unity of the peoples. As the Autonomous Administration, our main goal is to protect our gains. No one can easily take away the gains we have achieved with great effort and cost for 12 years. We will continue our unity and struggle. The Kurdish-Arab unity needs to develop much more. The alliance that the Turkish state has made with some Arab states is an attack on the Kurdish-Arab unity and alliance. This must be well understood and emphasized."

‘We want a political solution through dialogue’

Emphasizing that the Autonomous Administration is making efforts to establish a dialogue with the Damascus government and to politically resolve the Syrian crisis, while at the same time defending themselves from the attacks, Koçer said: "What we did in Deir ez-Zor is to engage in our own self-defense. We engaged in our legitimate defense. The Damascus government is the one attacking and killing civilians. We do not attack anyone unless we are attacked. We have to protect our people, our democratic system, and our gains. If the military path is chosen as a solution, this will cause Syria to experience worse results. The fundamental reason for this crisis that has been going on for 12 years is precisely that the military path is still being chosen. No discussion, no dialogue. As the Autonomous Administration, we want political dialogue. We want to protect Syrian territory and solve the Syrian problems together with all Syrian components. We do not want to fight, but if there is an attack, we will respond. We do not want a war with the Damascus government. Yet, if we are attacked again, we will not hesitate to respond. We have to protect our revolution."