Syrian politician released from Assayish PYD detention: We’re not allowed to return home

“A leading member of the Assayish told me that there is no place in Western Kurdistan (Kurdish areas in Syria) for politicians and members of parties which oppose the PYD-led government (announced months ago in northern Syria),” Kalo said.

19-04-2014 – ARA News – Exclusive – Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan– The Assayish forces (security wing of the Democratic Union Party PYD) released member of the Central Committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (KDPS), Haji Kalo, on Thursday and compelled him to return back to the Iraqi Kurdistan territory. Kalo was arrested together with some other members of the party while returning from Iraqi Kurdistan after ending the foundational conference of the party in Erbil city.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (KDPS) was announced at the beginning of this April with the unity of the Kurdish Democratic Party (el-parti), the Kurdistan Yekiti Party and the two wings of the Azadi Party. In an exclusive interview ARA News, Kalo confirmed that the Assayish forces arrested him together with other party members of the KDPS near the border village of Karbalat and that they were taken to the Assayish center in Derik city after 8 hours of detention in Karbalat village. 

“I was detained in a single room and was interrogated by the Assayish forces,” Kalo said. “They interrogated me about the digging of the trench by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on the border with the Syrian Kurdish areas. Their interrogation also focused on the foundational conference of our party (KDPS) in Iraqi Kurdistan, its decisions and the military status of our party.” “I assured them that we didn’t discuss the military status of the party in the foundational conference,” Kalo told ARA News. The PYD-led forces of the Assayish and the Popular Protection Units (YPG) are the only Kurdish armed forces in Syria. According to observers, the PYD is cautious about the formation of any Kurdish armed groups outside of its control.

“A leading member of the Assayish told me that there is no place in Western Kurdistan (Kurdish areas in Syria) for politicians and members of parties which oppose the PYD-led government (announced months ago in northern Syria),” Kalo said.

However, Kalo reassured that he was not subjected to torture or humiliation by the members of the Assayish forces. Kalo concluded that he is in Zakho city in Iraqi Kurdistan at the moment and that he is trying to arrange with leaders of his party to return to the Syrian territories. Noteworthy, Kalo was a member of the Kurdish Democratic Party (el-parti) and was elected to be a member in the Central Committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (KDPS) which finished its foundational conference two weeks ago.

Reporting by: Azad Jemkari