Despite embargoes and a pandemic, the Northern and Eastern Syria Autonomous Administration and the Syrian Democratic Council even expanded their diplomatic work in 2021. In this interview with ANF, the co-chair of the Foreign Affair Relations office talked about the developments in diplomacy in 2021 and its prospects for 2022.

In contrast to state forms of diplomacy, social diplomacy is the focus for the Autonomous Administration. This also applies to the year 2021. Omar explains: “Our diplomacy at social level as well as at ministerial level revolved around the recognition of the Autonomous Administration. In addition, during the talks we held we shared information on the political and economic situation as well as the Turkish occupation and the threat from Turkey. The closure of Til Koçer and other border crossings due to a Russian and Chinese veto affects around five million people. In particular, the lack of humanitarian aid for the areas occupied by the Islamic State for years gave this group the opportunity to reorganize. We have insisted that the Syrian problem cannot be resolved through the talks of the Constitutional Commission in Geneva, where we are not included neither as Kurds nor as peoples of northeast Syria. Thirty percent of Syria and its interests are not represented there. But we also addressed the situation of the ISIS people who are currently imprisoned with us and the thousands of women and children of ISIS mercenaries in the camps. If the situation continues like this at Camp Hol, we could soon face a humanitarian crisis. The repercussions will fall back on us and on the entire international community. We communicated all of this to our interlocutors and tried to find solutions."

"We tried to overcome the obstacles"

The embargo in particular hindered diplomatic work, said Omar and continued: "The closure of the border crossings from Northern and Eastern Syria led to an embargo. In particular, the closure of the Sêmalka-Pêşxabûr border crossing by the South Kurdish government has led to a whole series of obstacles. The pandemic and the cessation of travel around the world have also been a problem. We were often unable to leave the country to have diplomatic talks. There are other artificial barriers to talks with Arab countries. There is anti-propaganda that defames the Autonomous Administration as a purely Kurdish government and suggests that we want to divide Syria. Due to the influence of the Turkish state, the expected talks have not yet taken place."

"The de facto recognition process has started"

Omar pointed to the importance of the recognition of the Autonomous Administration by Catalonia and added that the process of de facto recognition by a number of states has begun. Omar recalled that during the diplomacy carried out in 2015 and 2016 no talks with foreign ministers or their deputies were possible, but that this is no longer unusual. "Now the doors of the foreign ministries of all European countries are open to us," said Omar, adding: "Talks are taking place at the level of the foreign ministers and their deputies. However, it is not possible to recognize the status without involving the Autonomous Administration in the constitutional talks. Official recognition is rather difficult without such involvement."

Representations opened in several countries

Omar recalled that the first Autonomous Administration representation was opened in Sulaymaniyah and said: "We now have a representative office in Moscow and one in Stockholm for the four Scandinavian countries, for the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, we have an agency in Brussels, we have opened agencies in Paris and Berlin. This year we have also set up a representation in Switzerland. In the future, we will continue our efforts to open offices in important locations. We intend to open a representative office in London in 2022."

"We are serious about a solution for Syria"

Omar continued: "We will develop the solution with Damascus. We are serious about the solution. The delegations from Geneva and Astana should be questioned."

Omar pointed to the role of the US and Russia in Syria and criticized their silence regarding the ongoing attacks on Turkey with artillery and armed drones. Apparently, the US and Russia did not allow a major Turkish invasion, but supported this new form of aggression, he said.

"ISIS threat continues"

Omar warned that although the ISIS occupation of the region has ended, ISIS continues to operate from areas under regime control or from areas occupied by Turkey. He said: "The ISIS ideology still exists in areas that have been under ISIS control for years and cannot breathe new life into themselves. There are several factors that favour terror: the international silence and the closure of the Til Koçer border crossing, the embargo of the region and the lack of aid, the threats by the Turkish state and its drone attacks, the interruption of the water flow of the Euphrates and the attempts to disrupt the stability of the region by creating an economic crisis, the situation of thousands of ISIS members in prisons and camps."

Regarding ISIS prisoners, Omar said: "The international community should support us in this. They neither want the ISIS people who come from their countries back, nor do they want us to bring them to justice here. How will this end?"

The occupied territories

Regarding the kidnappings, extrajudicial executions, expulsions and looting in the Turkish-occupied territories, Omar said: "Special dossiers are being prepared on legal violations in the occupied territories and on internally displaced persons. Our delegations hand over these dossiers. For us, what is happening in the occupied territories is a diplomatic priority. We are working for the return of internally displaced persons."

Great hope for 2022

Omar noted that despite the embargo and epidemic, the diplomatic efforts of the Autonomous Administration and the Syrian Democratic Council (MSD) have not stopped. "In 2022 we will focus more on social diplomacy. We will do more to develop dialogue with the countries of the Middle East. We enter 2022 with great hope."