Interview with Fuat Önen posted on December 24, 2024 01:03
- Last year, in October 2023, the war broke out between Hamas and Israel, and the Middle East became a bloodbath. It spread to the territories of Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, and today it has become a battlefield that also includes Kurdistan, including Rojava, and the regime collapsed.
Why did the regime collapse, mentor?
- Now, who is in Syria? Let’s look at it: The United States is there, Russia is there. Although not visible, the United Kingdom is there. Again, although not visible, China is there. France is there. The Arab states in the region are there. Primarily, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are there.
There are three imperial powers in the region: Iran, Turkey, and Israel. In fact, the war in Syria, which has lasted 13 years, is not a civil war in Syria; the whole world is fighting in Syria.
Is the whole world only fighting in Syria? Actually, in the last thirty years, whenever there has been a conflict anywhere in the world, the whole world has been fighting in that conflict zone. In the first ten years of these thirty years, events unfolded under the control of the United States and Britain. In the last twenty to twenty-five years, with the rise of Putin’s Russia, China becoming an alternative economic power to the US, and the involvement of India and Japan, these great powers are fighting all over the world.
So, if all the great powers of the world are fighting in Syria, Libya, Lebanon, Palestine, and everywhere else, why isn’t this called a world war? Because the great powers of the world, especially the Western powers, have a nuclear balance between them, and these great powers cannot fight directly with each other. The amount of nuclear capacity in their hands is enough to destroy the world several times over. Instead, the war continues in third regions.
This is a Third World War. What is the reason for this war? The reason is this: “When Soviet socialism collapsed and the Soviet system fell apart, it also collapsed the world order.” Because since 1945, one of the pillars of the world order, symbolized by the United Nations, was the Soviet Union. When it collapsed, the world order collapsed too. In a capitalist world, a new world order can only be achieved through a world war. Why is this important? To understand the war in Syria or any conflict in the world, we need to place it within this big picture. If we don’t, it’s impossible to solve or understand that event. This is the first reason.
Second, during war, law is silent, power speaks! And today, there is no interstate law in the world! Let me give you two examples of this: Now, Golani, who is said to be in power in Damascus, has been declared a terrorist by the United Nations. HTS has been declared a terrorist organization. In fact, the United States has put a $10 million reward on Golani’s head.
But today, the United States is directly negotiating with HTS. Tonight, the United Nations Special Representative will hold a meeting with Golani in Damascus. So, according to the United Nations, this person is a terrorist, but the United Nations Special Representative can meet with him. The Turkish state is already in talks with him. The head of the National Intelligence Organization went with him to the Emevi Mosque and prayed. There is no law here! There is power! This is what war is! We need to understand it this way. War is the continuation of politics by other means.
In the last 25 years, especially in Northwestern Kurdistan but also in other parts of Kurdistan, the period of armed struggle has ended. The idea that everything can be solved through dialogue and agreement has disarmed the Kurdish people intellectually. This is another reason we need to look at this from the perspective of a world war.
Now, the war in Syria has lasted for 13 years. Actually, the total duration of both world wars was about 9 years. So, the war in Syria has lasted longer than both world wars combined. Assad was not someone who remained in power through his own dynamics. In today’s world, internal and external dynamics are so intertwined that it is difficult to separate them.
So, since 2013-14, it has been Iran and Russia that have kept Assad in power. Russia has kept him in power through airstrikes, and Iran has kept him in power with the support of Hezbollah and the Iranian militias from Iraq.
Another event is this: From the beginning of the war, Turkey clarified its position. In 2011, under the patronage of the United States, a rear front was formed with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. They tried to overthrow Assad by supporting the fighters in Syria who identified as Islamist. Until 2013, the US’s main goal was to overthrow Assad. But in 2013, an extraordinary event occurred. The coup in Egypt took place.
As you know, when the Syrian war started, the Muslim Brotherhood was in power in Egypt. Turkey was on the side of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and tried to overthrow Assad. Erdogan’s plan, in other words, Turkey’s participation in this war, was based on the following idea: “In Egypt, the Brotherhood is in power, I am in power in Ankara, and if the Muslim Brotherhood comes to power in Syria, I will lead these three and take a stronger position against the West. I will become a regional imperial state.”
However, the coup in Egypt cracked this bloc. Saudi Arabia, along with the United States, supported the coup. Erdogan maintained his position and continued to support Morsi.
After 2013, the US president said: “We want Assad to go, but we also want to know who will replace him.” In other words, it may be more accurate to say: “Between 2013 and 2024, Assad stayed in power, partly due to a lack of alternatives.” During this period, the US and Turkey became estranged. The US leaned toward Russia, and the Astana summits were held. But the war continued.
Why did the Assad regime collapse in 2024? Netanyahu answered this: “If we hadn’t been there, you wouldn’t have come to power,” he said to HTS. Because it neutralized Hamas in Palestine, inflicted heavy blows on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Also, throughout the Gaza war, Israel continuously bombarded the positions of Iranian militias and Hezbollah in Syria. Thus, by cutting off Iran’s extending arms, Iran’s capacity to keep Assad in power diminished.
On the other hand, Russia, preoccupied with the war in Ukraine, withdrew many of its mercenaries from Syria, and many of its planes were reportedly sent to the Ukraine front. Therefore, it is possible to say: the US, Israel, and Russia gained a temporary victory over Iran. The word “temporary” is important here: “The war in Syria is not over.”
Perhaps a short period of ceasefire will occur in Syria, but the ceasefire has not yet started. Both Israel in the south and Turkey in the north are continuing the conflict and war. But let’s say, if an agreement is reached and a temporary period of ceasefire is achieved, it cannot be permanent.
Recently, the US, Russia, Turkey, Iran, and the Arab states in the region have been persistently asking HTS to establish a democratic structure that represents all ethnic and religious components in Syria. Do they believe in it? I don’t think so. But it is impossible for a democratic structure to be established under the leadership of HTS in Syria.
I can say, using Islamic terminology, that it is against HTS’s nature. Because HTS, like the Taliban and similar other jihadist groups, is a takfiri organization. Takfiri means they declare anyone who does not interpret religion like them as an unbeliever. It is impossible for them to create a tolerant and democratic system for those who do not share this worldview. This is impossible. All sides are aware of this. For now, it is a time to gain time for everyone. Each state will try to use this temporary period for its own interests.
What is important for us is the situation of Turkey and Iran. Both are imperialist occupiers of Kurdistan. Turkey’s main fear was the extension of Kurdistan to the Mediterranean. This is why the Afrin occupation was carried out. Now, regions such as Manbij and Tel Rifaat, controlled by the PYD-YPG under the supervision of Russia, have been taken.
It is said that Deir ez-Zor has been handed over to HTS. According to Mazlum Abdi, a temporary ceasefire has been reached in these regions through US mediation. Turkey seizes every opportunity to block Kurdistan’s path and prevent its statehood.
However, the HTS currently in power is not actually Turkey’s main alternative. With the Bahçeli initiative, the A plan revealed was for the Turkish state to take over the PYD-YPG through the ÖSO-SMO structure and try to force Assad to surrender. This did not happen. When this failed, Turkey’s B plan was activated. This time, by being part of the US and Israel bloc, Turkey paved the way for HTS to advance toward Aleppo and Damascus.
In short, it is said that many states are behind HTS’s attack. Some of these are true. However, one state that is not discussed is: “That is the Turkish state.”
Turkey is behind HTS’s attack. And now, the Turkish state is sending delegations, including its Foreign Minister and MIT Head, to Damascus, trying to increase its initiative there. Its main goal is to eliminate the current status in Western Kurdistan, even if it is not clearly defined. You know, recently, Hakan Fidan mentioned three conditions:
- The foreign armed forces in Western Kurdistan must leave.
- The self-administration in Rojava must end.
- A united Syria must be established.
If the Turkish state says this, then we have entered a new phase. The political and military positions of the Turkish state have now fundamentally changed. Those who say that Turkey will not enter Syria are wrong. Turkey will continue the war until it reaches its final goal: eliminating Kurdistan in Syria.
I don’t know if they will get a good deal or not, but their power is fading. However, their economy will collapse, and the Kurdish people will continue to resist until the Turkish forces leave Syria.
On the contrary, the duty of revolutionaries is to dismantle these coercive unions. The understanding that the territorial integrity of states is sacred was the slogan of the world order established after the First World War. After the Second World War, this slogan was strengthened and expanded. However, both the First and Second World Wars were imperialist wars of division.
The world orders established after these wars were also imperialist orders. Those who say this—do they really respect the territorial integrity of other states when they have the power to do so? For example, Turkey. Turkey today is an occupying power in Syria.
Iraq is also an occupying power. Turkey is an occupying power in Libya as well. There are two reasons why Turkey insists on saying (the territorial integrity of states is sacred):
First, its own territorial integrity is artificial, coercive, and imperialistic. To cover this up, it defends the territorial integrity of states.
Second, they oppose the statehood of Kurdistan because they see it as their own end. They appear to defend not only the territorial integrity of their own state but also the territorial integrity of Iran, Iraq, and Syria. This has no relation to the concrete situation, the reality. This is a colonialist attack by the Turkish state against Kurdistan.
Currently, the Turkish state is waging a war in three parts of Kurdistan. From the mouth of an occupying force, nothing sacred comes out. What comes out is barbarism. After that, we do not know how this war will develop. The war in Syria, we do not know how it will evolve.
But we need to be prepared for this. We need to look at politics with the logic of war now. There is no ordinary world politics. Kurdistan has never experienced an ordinary political situation or period.
Therefore, first, we must free ourselves ideologically from this colonialist thought system. Especially in Northwestern Kurdistan in recent years, you must have frequently heard this: “Kurds and Turks have been living together for a thousand years. They live as brothers.”
When they unite, both sides win. Öcalan said this, Ahmet Özer said this, Erdoğan said this, Bakırhan said this. First, we need to break free from this hegemonic idea.
First, the “togetherness” of Kurds and Turks is not a thousand years old; it is, if you push it, only 500 years old. That is, since the 16th century.
Second, there has never been a brotherly, conflict-free coexistence. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, a relatively calm period was experienced. There was the Kurdish principalities’ administration of Kurdistan and the Ottoman Empire. In the 19th century, it was marked by major uprisings and mass massacres by the Ottoman Empire. From this, no brotherhood comes. In the last century, Kurdistan has been subjected to a genocide over time. We are not one; we have no shared gain. Our “togetherness” only serves to erase the reality of Kurdistan.
And already; what the Turkish state understands by Kurdish-Turkish unity is that Kurds abandon the reality of Kurdistan, meaning it is not enough for them to be assimilated culturally and linguistically. It is a condition for them to be politically assimilated as well. Look, Hakan Fidan says: “Foreign fighters, referring to the PYD, YPG fighters, should leave Syria.”
Why don’t you say the same thing for the foreign jihadists you have brought from all over the world to Syria? Because they are your fellow Muslims. Kurdistan, on the other hand, is a country with a hostile relationship with you. Therefore, apart from Kurdish fighters, no one has demanded the removal of foreign fighters from Syria.
For example, why don’t you disarm the Muslim Brotherhoods that the Turkish state has trained, equipped, and supported, such as the structures called ÖSO-SMO? On the contrary, you give them new weapons to attack the Kurds, to attack Kurdistan. First, we need to break this intellectual hegemony. Even more importantly, Kurdish politics needs to break free from its fragmentation mentality.
A permanent solution is not possible within any part. Temporary gains are possible, and we do not oppose them. For example, we did not oppose the federal structure in Southern Kurdistan. We said that this is not a permanent solution.
Looking at the thirty-year history, it has been proven that it is impossible for a part to achieve permanent liberation or a solution on its own. The developments in Western Kurdistan are the same. They have been at war for 13 years. Some positions have been gained at the cost of the blood of thousands of Kurdish youth. But there is no guaranteed national gain there. Initially, cantons, a committee above the cantons, and later even a federation were established. Then, Kurdistan was sidelined, and the project of Northeast Syria was initiated. What are the consequences of this?
First, the demographics of Kurdistan were upturned. From the beginning, because there was no political unity in Western Kurdistan, nor a political unity understanding with the organizations in other parts of Kurdistan, the demographic structure of Kurdistan changed. Right now, in Western Kurdistan, the majority Kurdish areas are Kobanî, Amûdê, Tirbespî, and Dêrik. 60% of Qamishlo is not Kurdish.
Afrin is 98% Kurdish. This ratio has now dropped to 25-30%. The same situation exists in Serêkaniyê. What is the reason for this?
The reason is that the national struggle is a land-based struggle. When you stray from the land axis in the national struggle, you move away from national goals. The majority of Kurdish fighters in Western Kurdistan are south of the Western Kurdistan borders. It is unclear what will happen there.
It is said that a ceasefire was signed in Deir ez-Zor through the US, and the PYD-YPG forces there withdrew. Now, the target is Ayn Issa and Raqqa. The main threat here is that these regions, the geography called Northeast Syria, is an Arab-majority area.
Initially, the Arabs in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, the majority of whom are Sunni Muslims, supported ISIS and Al-Qaeda. Later, after Russia entered the field, and the US established a coalition against ISIS, reorganizing and supporting PYD, the Arab tribes there organized within the SDF. But now, as soon as they find an opportunity, they are opposing PYD and YPG. This is what is happening in Deir ez-Zor.
They have left their ranks.
Yes, they are acting according to their nature and national affiliation. There is no political climate in which success can be achieved through the brotherhood of peoples. PYD-YPG members need to reconsider this. Thousands of Kurdish youth were killed by HTS killers.
Now, how can a democratic relationship be established with them? It is impossible. If we are not currently under counterattack, it is because of the presence of the US in that area and Israel in the south. This is not a sustainable political approach.
For example, six Druze villages in the south-west of Damascus held a meeting. They said: “We have no security. We want to join Israel because HTS rule is a threat to us.”
They said: “We have no security.” It is unclear what will happen to the Alawite Arabs, the Syrians, the Armenians, and the Kildani people in Syria. And an even greater danger is what will happen to the Kurdish society there.
Therefore, we need to learn from the experiences and return to land-based national politics. We need to abandon fragmentation views. The independence of Kurdistan depends on the unity of Kurdistan. This needs to be understood.
Whatever has been done so far is done. It would have been desirable if it had been accomplished with a solid political mindset earlier. But at least from now on, Kurdish political unity in Western Kurdistan should be achieved. The political unity of Western Kurdistan and Southern Kurdistan, and later their territorial unity, should be prioritized. “Kurdistan’s independence depends on its unity” should be understood now.
- Well, mentor, Hurşit Dinler has a question. Although Russia is no longer in Syria but has withdrawn, he asks: “Isn’t Russia an occupying force in Syria?” Would you like to say something about this?
- Now, we do not know how long Russia will stay in Syria and how it will remain there. But Russia did not come there against the will of the Syrian state. It came at the invitation of the Syrian government. Now, the Syrian government that invited them is gone.
Russia also says it is in contact with HTS. The importance of Syria for Russia is its access to the Mediterranean. It has a naval base in Tartus and an air base in Lattakia.
So far, they have not clashed with HTS. What will happen next, I don’t know. But if you ask my personal opinion; leaving aside international law and such, every country should have only its own military power on its own land. Not countries that are forcibly established through occupation.
The rest is that this world war is being fought, and all the states in the world are fighting in third countries. For example, today, there is no country absent from Libya. Egypt, Turkey, Russia—each one of them is there.
Russia’s relationship with Syria is a relationship dating back to the Soviet era. It is based on inter-state agreements. How will they remain there from now on? What will they do with their ports? Will a state structure be established in Syria?
We do not know any of this. Because right now, the re-establishment of Syria as a state is both very difficult and a battlefield. Syria has no military power left. It has no warplanes, no helicopters, no ammunition. Israel has destroyed all of these. Why? Because although Israel is happy about HTS moving toward Damascus, it calculates that in the future, HTS might become a threat to itself. Therefore, it almost completely destroyed Syria’s military capability. Its economy has collapsed. It has been a war zone for 13 years.
What is happening in Syria and what is happening on the other side of the world, we see that the following is being updated: “Either revolution or barbarism.”
In a 13-year war, if it does not lead to a revolution, it leads to barbarism. Currently, barbarism dominates Syria. And this is true for the world as well. This age that is constantly praised as the “age of the internet,” “this era,” “that era,” is actually a type of new Middle Ages.
Against liberal-globalist attacks, individuals are increasingly under pressure. There is no rule of law in the world. Keeping this fundamental truth in mind, we need to continue. This is true for Kurdistan as well. Either revolution or barbarism.
- Well, mentor, dear Aslan asks. He says: “Is a free and independent Kurdistan possible under the US umbrella? What are Mr. Fuat Önen’s views on this?”
- A free, independent Kurdistan is possible with the Kurdistan revolution. In today’s power balances in the world, I do not find it wrong for both Southern Kurdistan and Western Kurdistan to form tactical alliances with the US. But this does not mean that there will be an independent Kurdistan under the US umbrella. An independent united Kurdistan will be the work of the Kurdish people, the Kurdistan revolution.
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