Turkey breaks ice with Syrian Kurdish group after period of hostility
28 July 2013 /SİNEM CENGİZ, ANKARA – Zaman – The surprise visit of the leader of Syria’s Democratic Union Party (PYD), an offshoot of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), to Turkey amid Ankara’s previous warnings to PYD about the establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region in northern Syria seems to be an initiative by Turkey taken to persuade the PYD to not take further steps that could escalate the conflict in Syria.
Ankara has been alarmed since the PYD recently declared its intention to create a political entity in northwestern Syria. Turkey believes that the creation of an autonomous region along the Turkish border may lead to wider conflicts in the war-torn country, as this might put the territorial integrity of Syria in jeopardy and present a security threat to Turkey. While the armed fighting has escalated between the PYD and al-Qaeda-linked radical groups over control of towns in northern Syria, Ankara has made its position clear, saying it will not take any part in the ongoing fighting between Kurdish groups and al-Qaeda-linked radical groups for control of the northern towns bordering Turkey.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday confirmed that Saleh Muslim is in Turkey, saying an official from the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) will warn him over any unilateral move to establish an autonomous Kurdish political structure in northern Syria. “An official will warn him over the dangerous steps they have taken,” said Erdoğan.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu stated on Wednesday that Turkey had no enmity for any ethnic group in Syria, but opposes a bid by Syrian Kurds to create an autonomous region along the Turkish border. “Any act of fait accompli would lead to far more bloodshed and quickly turn clashes between two parties into a conflict involving several parties. A de facto situation that would emerge as a result of acts of fait accompli would trigger responses from others. If everyone attempts to create their own regions, difficulties will ensue,” said Davutoğlu.
Muslim’s visit comes amid Turkish officials’ warnings against any unilateral move to establish an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria’s north. In a move to assuage Ankara’s concerns, the PYD had earlier said that it poses no threat to Turkey’s territorial integrity and called for broader cooperation with Ankara against radical groups fighting in northern Syria. The commander of the Popular Protection Units (YPG) in Syria, the military branch of the PYD, Sipan Hemo, whose forces have recently gained some Syrian districts in the country’s north amid ongoing clashes with radical groups, said Turkey has nothing to fear from YPG forces, describing extremist groups as the real threat to the region.
Speaking to Rudaw, an online newspaper in northern Iraq’s city of Arbil, Hemo said, “Contrary to what has been said we, as the YPG, see ourselves as friends of the Turkish people.” Hemo said Turkey should not see the flag raised by PYD forces in Ras al-Ain, a key town a few hundred meters from the Ceylanpinar district of Şanlıurfa province in Turkey as a problem. Upon reports that Muslim is expected to meet with Davutoğlu, a senior Turkish diplomat, who spoke to Today’s Zaman on the condition of anonymity, stated that there was no such meeting planned with Davutoğlu or any other minister.
The official also denied reports claiming that the PYD leader had talks with Turkish officials at the Turkish Embassy in Cairo few months ago, but added that Muslim met with Turkish officials at a Syria meeting held in Cairo. “The PYD leader didn’t have a meeting at our embassy or meet with our ambassador to Cairo,” said the official.
Visit a sign of search for cooperation with Turkey, say experts
Speaking to Today’s Zaman, Beril Dedeoğlu, an academic at Galatasaray University, considers the visit as a positive development, which would be an opportunity for both the sides to make their position clear over the situation in Syria and also a move to find ways to cooperate with Turkey. “I believe that the visit is a well-intentioned one. Perhaps, the PYD leader aims to inform Turkey about their activities in the northern part of Syria and also understand Ankara’s position over the issue better,” said Dedeoğlu.
Davutoğlu said the Syrian Kurds’ status within Syria should be determined after the establishment of a legitimate parliament in the war-torn country. Muslim was quoted as saying on Wednesday that the PYD has agreed with other Kurdish parties in Syria on the establishment of a transitional government in the Kurdish areas of the country.
According to Dedeoğlu, with the visit the PYD leader wanted to show that he is not making a decision independently without consulting Turkey. “The PYD avoids endangering the settlement process of the Kurdish question in Turkey. Being in dialogue with the PYD is better than not being. Otherwise, the risk of cases would emerge between the sides. Therefore, this visit would be beneficial for both sides,” said Dedeoğlu. Ankara fears Kurdish control of the border territory could lead to unrest among its own Kurdish population. Turkey expects the Syrian Kurds not to cooperate with the Syrian regime and join the Syrian opposition fighting to topple the Assad regime and not to engage in activities that could constitute a threat to the security of the Turkish borders.
İstanbul Bilgi University Professor İlter Turan stated that with the visit, Muslim would create a chance for himself to change the perception of Ankara over the PYD’s relations with the Syrian regime.Turan stated that the PYD would strive to clear Turkey’s concerns, adding the PYD would avoid engaging in a fight with Turkey. “The visit would also give an opportunity for Turkey to convey its expectations to the PYD,” said Turan.
The Syrian Supreme Kurdish Council — an umbrella organization that includes the PYD — replaced the PYD’s flag atop an abandoned factory in Ras al-Ain with its own on Friday. On July 19, the PYD replaced the flag of the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) with their own after seizing control of a Syrian town on the Turkish border following days of clashes with fighters affiliated with the al-Nusra Front.The capture of Ras al-Ain by the PYD fueled Ankara’s fears that the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria could embolden homegrown terrorists of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is fighting for autonomy in Turkey.