We are sharing with our readers a three-part series published in soL, the weekly newspaper of the Communist Party, Turkey. The author, Selin Asker, is a soL news editor. At the beginning of March, as part of a Communist Party delegation, Selin travelled to Kobani to report on the destruction after the defeat of ISIL in Kobani as well as to conduct meetings with the Kurdish political leadership in Kobani. The interview between soL team and the Deputy Prime Minister Khalid Berkel was held in the first week of March 2015. While the views expressed in the interview below do not necessarily represent the views of Liberation, we are publishing in order to give our readers a more detailed understanding of the nature of forces involved in the Syrian conflict. Liberation translation by Taylor Goel.
With representatives of the Kobani government who met the soL team and the Communist Party delegation at the border, we discussed the recent developments and their expectations in the upcoming period. We met Kobani Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Khalid Berkel in the government building still standing despite the heavy ISIS bombardment.
After thanking us for not being indifferent to the developments in Kobani and reminding us of the recent interview we held with him for soL in the previous months, Kobani Prime Minister Enver Müslim left after a short discussion due to his busy schedule. We held an interview with Kobani Deputy Prime Minister Khalid Berkel.
YPG has mentioned that it actively participated in the “Süleyman Shah” operation. To what extent? Did you have official meetings with Turkey? [Süleyman Shah: a 13th century historical Turkish figure is buried in Northern Syria. In February 2015, using the potential threat of an ISIS attack on the tomb site as a pretext, AKP government of Turkey launched a military operation to recover the remains of Süleyman Shah and move them to a safer location-TG]
After the recent events and the ISIS attack, Turkey requested from YPG [YPG, People’s Protection Units, the armed wing of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Northern Syria] a new location for the tomb. Additionally, they asked for the support of our forces. This support was valid only for the new location for the tomb and during the operation. If we assess the operation, AKP uses this as a means of propaganda for the upcoming elections. This is their style of propaganda. They claimed it was a really successful operation but it wasn’t. They say so to boost the morale of their army and their supporters. AKP has been behaving like since they came to power. The state of Turkey asked for help from a group of people that they were calling “terrorists” until recently. This is our success, and it is not our dilemma, it is the dilemma of the state of Turkey.
Why did you help AKP government if you believe AKP supports ISIS?
We don’t believe that Turkey’s politics towards Rojava is honest. Our goal is to stand in solidarity with our neighbours for the progress of humanity. In this context, they contacted us at various times for various agreements. AKP has frequently provided support for ISIS. The provider of all those unexploded bombs that you saw in town today is AKP. Our people participated in protests against AKP as well, raising their voice. Thanks to this resistance by our people and the international pressure, Turkey had to open up a corridor to Kobani at various points. You witnessed it too, Kobani is totally destroyed and burnt down. Turkey has to open the border.
Is the tomb of Suleyman Shah within the borders of Kobani?
Yes, it is 22 kilometres far from here. The state of Turkey claims it is by the border by Rojava but it is actually not, it is within our soil. We provided them the location. We built the place. Half of the area of the village of Ashme where the tomb is now located is within our borders including the tomb itself. That is Kobani soil.
A soldier died in the operation, do you know the reason behind his death?
We also learnt that from the news. We don’t have information. There is fighting going on in that area at the moment, ISIS operations continue. We can say that it is not a safe area.
How do you assess Öcalan’s (leader of PKK, Kurdistan Worker’s Party, who has been in jail in Turkey since 1999) call for laying down arms? How was this received in Kobani?
Our struggle for peace is not something that started today, it is a struggle of many years. Kobani resistance is a tiny part within the Kurdish freedom resistance. We have not committed crimes against any other people today, we have not attacked anyone. For us, the protection of our peoples and rights is what is important. The history of the Kurdish people is a history of defense. There is not a single massacre that the Kurdish committed. Our people has always been on the side of peace. They are pushing the Kurdish people to war.
The peace process is a project, it is a project for the brotherhood of the people, its concrete form is the democratic autonomy. We have managed to institute it here, our practice in the last year show the maturity of it. Canton organizations are included in this as well. This struggle is at the same time important for a democratic, free Syria as well. Equality for the whole society regardless of religion, language and race is a necessity. This is our belief, view and political identity. We are waging a struggle for this. We are the peace process itself.
The coalition that created ISIS provided support for the resistance of Kobani. Are you still in touch with the coalition?
We have ongoing contact with them for the fighting that is still going on in the villages. This is tactical, it is not temporary, it is part of our strategy. The biggest reason for the coalition’s support is due to the success of our resistance which has been heard all over the world.
You have a point. It is the international forces that created ISIS. It has been manufactured for the Arab world and the Middle East. Intelligence agencies have been involved. They have overtly and covertly supported ISIS, they have provided their own soldiers to ISIS, there are people who come in through Turkey. But this doesn’t show us the color of everything. ISIS, with support from the international forces attacked not only Kobani but also Rojava. They wanted to destroy the whole Kurdistan. International forces supported ISIS to rally the entire Middle East under the black flag. This was their ideology. However ISIS has reached a scale they don’t want to support any more as it is now out of control. The fact that other countries would fight against ISIS pushed the U.S. as well. The U.S. did not want to leave the “fight” against ISIS to anyone else.
Behind these plans is the destruction of the Middle East. It is part of a very big plan. This project is historic, its roots are in Sykes-Picot, the battle of Çaldıran, the Lausanne, the Sevre treaty. The issue is whether these projects are exposed or not, the sides are formed according to that. What we are experiencing today are the results of the political projects of the U.S.A. and Europe from 50 years ago; the product of these policies is ISIS. The goal is to pit the peoples of the Middle East against one another.
Is YPG in contact with the Assad Government? If so, at what level?
We are not in contact anymore. After the July 19 Rojava uprising, there was nothing left between the two sides. By the way, it would be better to call July 19 a breakthrough or an uprising instead of a revolution. In summary, there is no similarity between us and the rest of the Syrian opposition. They organized in the mosques, we on the streets. The reason for our uprising was the politics of the Assad government that enforced a single language and a single state. We are people who spent time in Syrian jails.
Before Rojava, we were fighting for not only the Kurdish people but all the people of Syria. They tried to connect our uprising with the Syrian opposition but we are not related to them at all. FSA (Free Syrian Army) has held many meetings with us to fight against Assad but what they were proposing to us for the Kurdish people was a repeat of Assad. If a free Syria based on equality is to be constructed, we will fight Assad as well if we need to.
Both ISIS and FSA are against Assad government…
We don’t see a difference between ISIS and FSA. The AKP government supported them both. When the first uprising started in Syria, ISIS and FSA were side by side. They all united under the black flag under the “La Ilaha IllAllah” slogan. There is not much of a difference between the two. Because there is no humanity in their struggle. They also want a single color and a single flag.
Turkey is up for “training and equipping” the Syrian opposition. What do you think of this?
Yes, we are aware of this. This is the output of the agreement made between the coalition and Turkey. If the training of moderate opposition is for a free and democratic Syria, we would be happy about it.
Against ISIS, you participated in the Borkan al-Firat joint organization which also included some Jihadist groups. What is the status of this collaboration?
Yes, we have some past with Borkan al-Firsat. It is a contact we made through Jabat Al Akrad (Kurdish Front Brigade). Kata’ib Shams al-Shamal (Sun of the North Battalions) also has many martyrs in the fight against ISIS. They stand by us, they support us. They have been acting together with us for over a year.
Doesn’t it bother you that they are jihadist organizations?
It doesn’t matter what the organizations that support us comprise of, it is the struggle against IS that brings us together.
Do you have any ISIS prisoners?
No.
How do you assess the fact that YPG has taken Tal Hamis in Hasake back from ISIS in a couple of hours? While it took so long in Kobani…
Kobani was under embargo for over a year and a half. Tal Hamis is not surrounded on all corners like Kobani. For Kobani, the only exit is through Mürşitpınar border crossing and that is closed. Jazire Canton is better off in that respect. They have borders crossings that provide connection to both Turkey and Barzani. Jazire Canton also has oil and a good level of income with a strong economy. Jazire Canton has had a strong presence in the history of the Kurdish struggle.
It is claimed that in Afrin Canton, the laws of Shariah is in effect. Would you like to comment on this?
We also heard about this from the press. We have lost contact with Afrin a long time ago. For example, we receive news here such as “Al-Nusrah will attack Afrin,” but then we hear news of deals made. The war is a different thing. It makes the communication between the cantons very difficult.
Would you like to say something about comments like “The success of Kobani is due to Peshmerga forces” or “If Turkey had not provided a corridor, Kobani would have fallen”? [Peshmerga: Forces loyal to Massoud Barzani, the current leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iraq who has deep ties with imperialism-TG]
It is obvious from the declaration of Kobani as a canton, this success belongs to YPG. We thank the Peshmerga forces for their participation, we thank the coalition as well. We are happy that the Peshmerga helped us out. Yes, everyone knows that this is propaganda but they really helped us a great deal, they had so many martyrs here. They resisted for YPG. The fact that YPG and Peshmerga forces united gave us hope, for the national army aa well. We hope that we will defend this land all together.
Are people returning back to Kobani? What are the most urgent needs?
We need the border crossing to be opened and we need heavy construction equipment. There are people returning back to Kobani, they have started occupying habitable houses but there is no infrastructure, power and water. First of all, all the debris has to be removed. If the border crossing is not opened and the heavy construction equipment do not arrive, everything would be very difficult. The bombs on the streets have to be removed. We also need medicine. The city in its current state looks more like a funeral. We will reestablish an ecological life here.
