The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) stated that a delegation visited Germany and met with the Deputy Speaker of the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia in the German city of Düsseldorf.
According to what was published yesterday, Thursday, June 20, the delegation included the co-chair of the Foreign Relations Department, Ilham Ahmed, and the co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), Mahmoud al-Meslet, among others.
The delegation provided an overview of the Autonomous Administration experience, affirming that all components of the region participated in its establishment “with their free will.”
According to what the Autonomous Administration published, the delegation spoke about the danger posed by the Islamic State organization, which remains active in the region and continues to carry out attacks. They emphasized the need for support and assistance in political, economic, and military aspects to defeat the organization.
The Autonomous Administration delegation pointed out that thousands of former Islamic State members detained in AANES-run prisons, along with tens of thousands of their families in the al-Hol and al-Roj camps, constitute a “ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.”
Moreover, the Autonomous Administration delegation addressed the Turkish attacks on the region from time to time, highlighting the need to exert “pressure” on Turkey to stop these attacks.
For years, the Autonomous Administration has been unable to gain international recognition, amid an open war with Turkey, Syrian opposition factions, and the pressure exerted by the Syrian regime.
The Autonomous Administration had previously attempted to engage in political tracks, but Ankara’s objection kept it outside the political equation for years.
While countries involved in political processes as guarantors or observers in Syria view the ongoing events as a “conflict” between two sides, the opposition and the regime, the Autonomous Administration remains outside this equation, as it is viewed only as a partner of the International Coalition in fighting the Islamic State in eastern Syria.
In 2017, the Russian Interfax news agency reported that the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the main component of the Autonomous Administration, wished to participate in the National Dialogue conference in the Russian city of Sochi.
Following the Russian agency’s report about the units’ desire to attend Sochi, Russia extended an invitation to them, but Turkey refused, according to the former Turkish presidential spokesperson, Ibrahim Kalın.
Turkey views the Autonomous Administration and its military wing, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed on Turkish, American, and European “terrorism lists.”
Ilham Ahmed is a former member of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is listed on the “terrorism lists” in Germany.