EBÎR MUHEMED

Qamishlo- In 2015, The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) was established in North and East Syria. In an interview with NuJINHA, Emîne Omer, Co-chair of the SDC, talked about the aims, activities and objectives of the council. In her speech, Emîne Omer indicated that the Syrian crisis has been deepening since 2015, when many armed groups entered Syrian territory. “Since a military solution is imposed in the country, the crisis is not solved with a political solution,” she said.

 “The SDC was established to support the struggle for democracy’

The SDC was established to support the struggle for democracy and protect the rights of people from all nationalities and beliefs in Syria, Emîne Omer said, “The SDC is a political wing of both the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). Individuals from different social and political groups are the members of the council. This allows different ideas to come to the forefront.”

It carried out its activities with different names

The SDC carried out its activities with different names in North and East Syria against the armed groups and ISIS before it was established in 2015. “When these armed groups began to occupy many areas, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched operations and liberated the region from armed groups. During that time, the SDC supported the SDF. Therefore, the SDC is the political wing of the SDF. It is also the political wing of the AANES.

‘We believe in a political solution’

The SDC also played an important role in organizing people when Kobanê, Manbij, Tabqa, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor were liberated from ISIS by establishing peoples’ assemblies in the cities. Speaking about the 12-year-old Syrian crisis, she said:

“Many organizations were established for the resolution of the Syrian crisis. The SDC has been globally recognized as a national project of Syria. As the SDC, we believe in a political solution for the Syrian crisis with the participation of people from all nationalities and beliefs, not in a military solution. In addition, the SDC advocates the necessity of dialogue among the forces in Syria and of a new Syrian constitution based on democracy to ensure the rights of all people. Believing in democracy and unity of people from different nationalities and beliefs, the SDC has established dialogues with many political parties before its congress. These dialogues have resulted in positive feedback.”

‘Our aim is for all women to gain their rights’

NuJINHA also spoke to Canda Mihemed, a member of the SDC, about the role of women in the SDC. The women’s representation in the SDC is 50%. “Women began to take part in committees and assemblies and the co-presidency came into effect. This system paves the way for women to play their main roles and carry out political and diplomatic activities,” Canda Mihemed told us.

The SDC demands a new constitution that guarantees the rights of women. “As women of the SDC, we have established communication with Syrian women because we want to discuss the problems faced by women with them.”

‘We will hold our congress’

Derya Remezan, member of the Foreign Relations Bureau of the SDC, said that the main aim of the SDC is to unite all people living in Syria and to develop a project based on democracy for them. “We have signed agreements with many political parties believing in a political solution to the Syrian crisis. We will hold our congress soon. We want a peaceful solution through dialogue with the participation of all political and social forces and movements. The Syrian crisis can be solved with the people of Syria.”

‘The Turkish state aims to Turkify Syria’

Dalya Henan, board member of the SDC’s Women’s Office and spokesperson of the office, thinks that the Turkish state has carried out a “Turkification” project in the cities of Syria. “In the occupied areas, the Turkish state imposes Turkish culture, language, history and money on people,” she said.

Emphasizing that the SDC aims to build a democratic and free Syria, she said, “For this reason, we are always subjected to attacks. We work to have democratic system that ensures security for all people living in Syria.”