Bassam Ishak: DAA’s absence in Astana clear signal for a military solution for Syria only in the interest of Syrian regime and its sponsors

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 16^th round of Astana talks held on 7 and 8 July in the Kazakh capital Nur al-Sultan will again see the exclusion of the Democratic Autonomous Administration (DAA) of North and East Syria. No DAA representatives have been invited by the 3 guarantor countries Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Present at the meeting are the guarantor countries, representatives of the United Nations, the Syrian Ba’ath regime, and Syrian opposition.

In statements to Adar Press, the Syriac Co-Chair of the Democratic Autonomous Administration (DAA) representation in Washington and President of the opposition Syriac National Council of Syria (SNCS) Bassam Said Ishak said that the guarantor countries negotiating in Astana, especially Turkey, reject any participation of the DAA in the Astana talks while they keep accusing it of having relations with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – outlawed in Turkey; “As for Iran, Russia, and the Syrian regime, they want the regime to regain control over the territories east of the Euphrates river, and therefore they reject the DAA project and do not want its participation,” Ishak stated.

The DAA absence in such talks is bad because any decisions taken will directly affect the DAA. The meeting in Astana will discuss several topics, including the issue of (re-)opening border crossings, facilitating humanitarian aid, the possibility of resuming the discussions of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva, and issues such as the exchange of prisoners.

Regarding the underlying reasons for rejecting the Democratic Autonomous Administration’s, its political executive body the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), and defense forces the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from participating, is a clear sign. Bassam Ishak pointed out that he believes that their exclusion is a clear message from the guarantor countries and the Syrian regime to find a military solution in northern Syria that meets the interests only of the Syrian regime, Russia, Turkey and Iran, keeping away any Syrian party that can claim to work in the interests of the Syrian people and their aspirations for a democratic, pluralistic, and decentralized Syria.

“They want to settle the situation in the northwest by re-opening the highway within a demilitarized zone, and this will open the southern trade route for Turkey and help the regime economically.”

“he DAA project is a pioneering and new political project in the region and poses a direct threat to traditional models that suppress and refuse to recognize the diversity in identities in their countries,” the SNCS President said.

Ishak indicated that traditional status quo countries do not want to recognize a model as the developing democratic model of the Democratic Autonomous Administration. Ishak stressed that United Nations Resolution No. 2254 remains the focus and main political framework for the West to solve the Syrian issue. UN resolution 2254 among others calls for the writing of a new consensual constitution after which free and fair elections can take place.

For the article in Arabic see SyriacPress Arabic