‘We decided to be soldiers for our people, not anyone else’: PYD leader

KT News:

In a keynote speech at a Kurdish conference in London today, Salih Muslim Mohammed, leader of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), explained his party’s strategy for West Kurdistan and refuted claims that Kurds are aligned to Syria’s brutal Ba’athist regime.

“We have the historical experience of Kurds being soldiers for others”, said Salih, referring to the history of the Ottoman Empire when Kurds became known as ‘Turks of the mountains’.

“It was the same in Syria”, he said. “We fought French colonialism but no one recognised us”. Kurds got no mention in Syria’s 1946 post-independence constitution and, from 1962, they were even deprived of their identity cards. Countless Kurds were imprisoned and tortured by the Ba’athists. Although they made up 15 percent of the population, outside the country “no one knew there were Kurds in Syria”.

In 2004 the Kurds rose up against the dictatorship and – on their own – faced deadly repression. “Our revolution started in 2004”, said Salih, “and it hasn’t stopped since then”.

“We decided not to be soldiers for anyone else”, he explained, “and to be soldiers of our people and to use our flag of red, yellow and green and to call for our rights in a future Syria”.

Since the general Syrian uprising, from March 2011, the PYD has focussed on the mass organisation of the Kurdish population, coupled with armed self-defence, rather than on armed offensives against superior military force. On this basis, from 11th July 2012, Kurds began to take over the control of their areas from the regime.

Salih said the Kurdish liberated areas are run in a democratic manner, coordinated by a Supreme Committee comprising the PYD and other parties. There are no extremist Islamist groups dictating to the people and women participate in everyday life. The PYD itself promotes women’s rights, having quotas for positions and male and female co-presidents.  Kurds also respect the rights of all nationalities, and refugees from across Syria are coming to stay in the Kurdish areas to escape the fighting.

The Turkish government supported the Assad regime from 1998 until last year when it started courting the Syrian opposition and it has assisted, with money and weapons, the Syrian National Council (SNC) in which the Muslim Brotherhood plays a big role.

Salih accused Turkey of spreading the lie that the PYD is aligned to the Assad regime.

“1,500 of our members were in prison when the 2011 revolution began”,  he said. “Our people have been killed under torture by the regime … We fought the regime when it came to our areas”.

Salih said Turkey’s ‘Plan B’ is to destabilise the Kurdish areas and cause Kurds to fight each other. He accused Turkey of supporting armed groups that operate under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) but are in fact loyal to Al Qaeda and other Islamist factions.

“We have good relations with the FSA”, stressed Salih, explaining that it is largely made up of defectors from the Syrian army. The problem is with the Islamist groups, masquerading as the FSA, that have killed Kurdish civilians in Aleppo and are trying to attack other Kurdish areas.

Salih said that, if these groups really want to fight the regime, they should be in Damascus and elsewhere and not around the liberated Kurdish areas.

He said there have been clashes between Kurds in Afrin, “where some Kurds want to have good relations with Turkey”.

Salih referred to a secret Turkish diplomatic communique, dated 2nd September , outlining a plan to encourage the evacuation of Kurds from West Kurdistan into South Kurdistan and Turkish refugee camps, making those who stay behind ‘marginal Kurds’.

He said Turkey wants to link the PYD to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) so as to get the PYD listed internationally as a ‘terrorist organisation’.

However, said Salih, although there is huge support among Syria’s Kurds for the jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, there are no organic links between the two parties.

What does the PYD want for Western Kurdistan?

Salih said that it wants the Kurdish issue resolved democratically within the borders of Syria, with constitutional recognition for Kurds and guaranteed rights, “including the right to defend ourselves, but within the Syrian borders”.

The PYD is not advocating a separate state. It has learned from Europe where, after the rise of nation states, millions were killed in wars.

“We are looking to the beginning of democratic confederalism in the Middle East”, he explained, with a “leading role for Kurdish people in the region for first time since Neolithic times”.

“We think our Kurdish case can be solved, not only for Kurds, but for all nations to live together in democratic confederalism”  – as Arabs, Armenians, Persians and so on.

“We are not the enemy of anyone”, said Salih.”We are just fighting for our democratic rights”.

The ‘Kurds in the Changing Middle East Conference’ is being streamed live at: kurdishacademicforum.co.uk/

14 Responses to ‘We decided to be soldiers for our people, not anyone else’: PYD leader
  1. Suleiman
    November 17, 2012 | 19:48

    You actually are disgrace to the Kurds. You decide to give your back to the rest of the Syrians once you got your independence, thinking you actually gained by your own efforts. If it was not for the entire Syrian revolution weakening the Asad regime you would still be sitting in your house with no rights.

    As a matter of fact, if the Syrian revolution get crushed by Asad, are you so naive to think Asad will sit and leave you alone?

    Time and time the enemies of us Kurds claim we are selfish and shortsighted in crunch time, and you truly demonstrated that.

    You didn’t want to be anyone’s soldiers yet you are a puppet for PKK who is a bankrupt group even in the eyes of its own people.

    Our Kyrds in Syria deserve someone better than your immature leadership.

    • Cozen
      November 19, 2012 | 10:05

      Look at this funny guy, what the PYD or PKK is doing in West Kurdistan is for the benefit of the kurds there. What Syrian Revolution??? Revolution got hijacked long time ago and now its a proxy war with US and its allies vs Iran and its allies. Why should kurds get involved in the ‘revolution’ when they not gonna gain anything from it. PKK is the way forward for kurds.

  2. Cozen
    November 17, 2012 | 23:24

    Kurds in West Kurdistan need to wise up and stay united thats hard to do looking back at our history but is a necessity.

  3. Kurd
    November 18, 2012 | 15:18

    Just can’t trust pkk

  4. Ari kader
    November 18, 2012 | 21:29

    About the FL.AG , if we are going to talk about west kurdistan , it means that the big picture has to be for all ,north,south,east,west, so think carefully not to raise just any way you wish , it is our responsiblity for future generations to have ONE flag

  5. Tendurek
    November 19, 2012 | 00:00

    We are all The PKK army, Thanks to Serok Apo ( Leader Apo) to brings all Kurds together

  6. […] This is the report of Salih Muslim’s speech from Kurdistan Tribune: […]

  7. K.I.M.
    November 20, 2012 | 19:04

    It is in Kurdish nation’s best interest to join the US-Israel-Britain alliance.

    Kurds should proceed step by step.

    Second KRG is soon on horizon if Kurds in West Kurdistan prudently take advantage of the prospect.

    PKK, PYD and all Kurdish political parties should combine their efforts to topple Dictator Assad.

    Iran will remain next in line which will soon collapse by global powers culminating in liberation of Kurds in East.

    Seeing Kurds are empowered and have gained their autonomy, Turkey will have no choice but to give up, as well.

  8. Kurd
    November 21, 2012 | 00:34

    KIM:
    Wasn’t it Britain that was the main reason Kurds were divided among many nations? Tell me what the US, Israel, and Britain have done for the Kurds???

  9. […] [44] “‘We Decided to Be Soldiers for Our People, Not Anyone Else’: PYD Leader,” Kurdistan Tribune, November 17, 2012, http://kurdistantribune.com/2012/decided-be-soldiers-for-people-not-anyone-else-pyd-leader/. […]

  10. […] [44] “‘We Decided to Be Soldiers for Our People, Not Anyone Else’: PYD Leader,” Kurdistan Tribune, November 17, 2012, http://kurdistantribune.com/2012/decided-be-soldiers-for-people-not-anyone-else-pyd-leader/. […]

  11. […] Soldiers for Our People, Not Anyone Else’: PYD Leader,” Kurdistan Tribune, November 17, 2012, http://kurdistantribune.com/2012/decided-be-soldiers-for-people-not-anyone-else-pyd-leader/. [45] “The Kurdish Democratic Union Party.” [46] Report: Kurds in Syria: Groups at Risk. [47] […]

  12. […] [51] “We Decided to Be Soldiers for Our People, Not Anyone Else’: PYD Leader,” Kurdistan Tribune, November 17, 2012, http://kurdistantribune.com/2012/decided-be-soldiers-for-people-not-anyone-else-pyd-leader/. […]

  13. […] not anyone else': PYD leader’ (17 Nov 2012), The Kurdistan Tribune [online]. Available at: http://kurdistantribune.com/2012/decided-be-soldiers-for-people-not-anyone-else-pyd-leader/ (Accessed 20 Jul […]

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