Mazloum Abdi, general commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has said the group wants to take part in Turkey’s ongoing peace process with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) by engaging in dialogue with both Ankara and jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.
In an interview with Mezopotamya Agency published yesterday, Abdi revealed that the SDF had exchanged views with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan through written communication.
“His views were obtained through a letter, and our views were also conveyed,” Abdi said, adding that a visit to Öcalan in İmralı prison by officials from the Kurdish-led administration in Syria could “positively contribute to both the peace process and the resolution of issues in North and East Syria.”
He further said Öcalan, who has been imprisoned in Turkey since 1999, also wants such a visit, citing a delegation from Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party which visited the PKK leader.
Turkey last year initiated a peace process with the PKK, which is mainly based in Iraq's north, in an attempt to end the four-decade-long conflict. While Turkey regards the SDF as an extension of the PKK and expects it to lay down arms, the SDF denies organizational ties despite acknowledging Öcalan's ideological leadership. Thus, the SDF says the PKK’s decision to dissolve itself in May, following Öcalan’s call, does not apply to them.
This issue was discussed between Öcalan and a delegation of MPs representing a parliamentary committee overseeing Turkey's peace process during a visit yesterday, according to a statement from the parliament. While it did not provide further details, Ankara previously said Öcalan should separately call for the disarmament of the SDF.
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Contact between Turkey and SDF
Abdi also revaled that contact between the SDF and Turkey exists but is limited. “There are open channels between us. However, there is no agreement. We want these talks to strengthen. We want them to be formal and to reach agreement on certain issues.”
Abdi dismissed Ankara's claims that the SDF poses a threat to Turkey, saying, “We are the ones under attack. We are the ones whose land has been occupied. We are the ones whose people have been displaced and cannot return.”
Turkey, in two separate military operations in 2018 and 2019, captured the areas of Afrin in Syria's northwest and Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn in the north, which were previously under Kurdish control. While Afrin was handed over to Damascus following the overthrowing of the Syrian regime in December, the areas captured in the 2019 offensive remains an enclave within the SDF territory.
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The SDF controls nearly a quarter of Syria in the country’s north and east and has been negotiating with the Turkey-backed Damascus government for integration since earlier this year. The two sides signed a memorandum in March for the SDF's integration into the Syrian state.
However, the main point of contention remains the model of governance: the SDF seeks to preserve its autonomous administration, while both Damascus and Ankara insist that the Syrian government must exercise full authority across the country.
Abdi said their intention is not to divide Syria, saying, “This is not fragmentation. It does not weaken Syria; on the contrary, it strengthens it."
He added that progress in the Syrian integration talks would also contribute to Turkey’s peace process. “Resolving the issues within the Syrian government will bring peace. It will also bring peace to Turkey. For this reason, we want them to support this process, not oppose it.”
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'Turkey toned down objections after Washington trip'
Abdi noted that current discussions between the SDF, the Damascus government, and the US have been impacted by international diplomacy, referring to the Nov 10 meetings in Washington between US President Donald Trump, Syrian Interim Government President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Although no SDF representative attended the meetings, Abdi stated that details of the discussions were relayed to them by US Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack.
According to Abdi, “the Turkish side voiced some complaints… However, as far as we understand, they were not as sharp this time. They did not use threatening or harsh language. They mostly expressed their demands for a solution.” (VK)
