PYD's Hesen: We're always ready to negotiate with Damascus-Part 2

PYD co-chair Shaoz Hesen, talks about the current state of things in Syria.

In the second part of the interview PYD co-chair Shaoz Hesen, talks about the new agreements and alliances within the region, the Geneva talks and the Autonomous Administration will to enter negotiations with Damascus.

How did your relations with the US and Russia change after the withdrawal of the US from the region?

We have relationships with everyone in the region. There is a Kurdish problem in Syria, everyone should see this and find a solution at this point. As to how to find a solution, the starting point is that the rights of all peoples of the region, i.e. their identity, culture, language, administration, political status and self-government should be granted through equal rights. This should be done in a democratic Syria.

Today, we are faced with a political problem. Since there is no solution to this problem, invading forces like the Turkish state are attacking the region at every opportunity.

International forces are saying that 'Turkey is a state and we have our strategic partnership with it. Therefore we must be careful'. But these daily relationships are no longer acceptable. While those forces remain quiet Turkey continues to massacre civilians. In this sense, the occupation should be opposed with a common attitude in a short time.

It is argued that the US has returned to some regions, is it true or how do you interpret the purpose of the US?

The United States had decided to withdraw all soldiers, some of them have indeed withdrawn. Later, US President Trump changed his decision and said, 'We will stay in the region.'

We think the US will stay for oil. They do not want the oil to fall into the hands of ISIS, or perhaps in the hands of the [Damascus] regime or Iran. This policy concerns the United States. It is true that they have returned to some areas from where they had already withdrawn, but they have not settled in every region.

They don't seem to be going back to the areas where the regime is located. We cannot know all the military relations, but it seems that they will stay in the region and settle in certain areas. I do not think that they will settle in as many regions as before, as they will only stay in Dêir Ezzor and Cizîre cantons.

The meetings of the United Nations-sponsored Syrian Constitutional Committee are taking place in Geneva. As before, representatives of the Autonomous Administration were not invited to these meetings. How do you evaluate this situation?

The crisis in Syria will never be solved in this way. There is no solution without us in Geneva. It is a one-sided perspective and does not provide a solution. Social problems that occur after heavy wars are never solved without inclusiveness. If there is a solution, it should cover every party involved in that conflict. On the one hand, there is a regime, which has led to many economic and cultural problems in society in the past 50 years, on the other side there are groups called 'opposition' which survive with the support from other countries. Most, in this group, are supported by Turkey, radical jihadist sectors, that are trying to give them legitimacy by sitting on one side of the table under the name of the 'opposition'.

There is a democratic power that is not invited at the talks table, but represents a third way in Syria, the democratic autonomous administration, which is neither linked to the regime nor to regional powers. We are the only forces that want a democratic Syria, but we are not at the table. We have repeatedly stated that there is no solution to the war if we are not all at the talks table.

Everyone knows very well that we are the only democratic force in this land. This is a great deficiency in terms of the future of Syria if we are not all at the table. Those at the table are in pursuit of protecting their own interests, while the autonomous administration defends the existence of a democratic Syria.

Every time you are not at the table is because of Turkey. Do you believe that?

It is an excuse to say that the Turks do not accept us. The Turkish state already wants to kill us, to destroy us. If the attitude of the Turks is to act, we could never bring a solution to Syria. We do not agree to attribute this to the attitude of the Turks each time.

Today the Astana group, Turkey, Iran and Russia, wants to do everything they want on behalf of Syria but with their own control methods. This approach will never bring a solution, especially if Turkey violent and hostile approach continues.

If a real solution for Syria is truly desired, then Turkey should not continue to be allowed to have its hand on it.

Did your agreement with the regime consist only in sending the regime's troops to the border, or it concerned other issues as well?

Russia arranged our meeting with the regime. Our agreement was only about the regime forces going to the border, but we always say that we are always open to dialogue with the regime.

We said to Russia to be the guarantor country and start negotiating with the regime. We always say that no one can avoid the Kurdish question.

Today, all peoples in North East Syria want to live in a democratic Syria under the roof of the autonomous administration.

Syria will no longer be able to be ruled as before. Therefore, we have to find solutions to our problems through dialogue. Our alliance with the regime today is related to the border, but we believe that this alliance should be further advanced on other issues.