NEWS CENTER - Ilham Ehmed, Co-Chair of the Foreign Affairs Department of Northern and Eastern Syria, emphasized that a solution in Syria is only possible if it involves the whole country. Ehmed said that the first condition for this is Turkey's withdrawal from the region. 

 

Ilham Ehmed, Co-Chair of the Department of Foreign Relations in Northern and Eastern Syria, evaluated Turkey's efforts to establish a dialogue with the Syrian government. Answering questions of Fırat News Agency (ANF), Ehmed said that for an agreement to be reached between Damascus and Ankara, the occupation of the areas controlled by Turkey and its paramilitary groups must end. 

 

Ehmed pointed out that Russia and Iraq played a role in the efforts of the Turkish and Syrian governments to reach an agreement. Ehmed said: "Any negotiations and agreements that undermine the dignity of the Syrian people become a subject of bargaining. In the early stages of the Syrian crisis, the Turkish state intervened in the Syrian file in different ways. The Turkish state exceeded the limits of the Adana agreement with military attacks. It is pursuing a policy of occupation and annexation."

 

'TURKEY'S WITHDRAWAL MUST BE THE FIRST CONDITION'

 

Ehmed said that Syria wants to ease the burden on Syria and Turkey wants to get rid of the refugees. However, it is clear that there are obstacles to their agreement. Because neither the Turkish state nor the Damascus government have the independence to make their own decisions. The Syrian problem has become an inter-state problem and they insist on demographic change. Therefore, the security and interests of the Syrian people must be considered first and foremost. In this sense, the withdrawal of the Turkish state from Syrian territory must be the first condition of any agreement. Any other agreement will not only benefit the people of northern and eastern Syria, but also the entire Syrian people." 

 

Ehmed said the following: "First of all, the Turkish state must leave the Syrian territories it occupies. It seems that the regime insists on this condition. Now, when these two regimes come to an agreement, there are common problems that they address first. One of these common problems is the problem of the peoples. This is not only the problem of Northern and Eastern Syria, but also Northern and Western Syria. In other words, the areas occupied by the Turkish state are the areas of North and East Syria. Some of the areas now occupied by the Turkish state are those that have gone from the areas of the Damascus government. It is actually a heavy burden for both states to solve these problems between themselves."

 

 

'THERE ARE DANGERS OF GOING BACK TO THE OLD'

 

Ehmed pointed out that the interests of the peoples are not taken into account in inter-state relations and said: "This is especially true for the segments they see as opposition to them. The Turkish state sees northern and eastern Syria as its opponents, while the Damascus government sees both northern and eastern Syria and north-western Syria as its opponents. On this basis, if their mentality is to go back to the old relations, this of course has many dangers. Their old relations was based on ignoring the rights of the peoples. The interests of the regime are much more important here."

 

'SOLUTION CANNOT BE FOUND WITHOUT INCLUDING THE WHOLE OF SYRIA'

 

Emphasizing that a possible solution is only possible if it covers the whole of Syria, Ehmed said: "Of course, we want the regime to take new steps and change. The return of those who are considered criminals by the regime to their homes, the return of all refugees to their homes, the exit of the Turkish state from the occupied territories, if this is the approach, of course the Syrian problem will be solved.”