In June, Ilham Ahmed, one of the most prominent figures in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), appeared in Germany, focusing her efforts on promoting the administration, where she serves as the co-chair of the Foreign Relations Office.
The official website of AANES stated at the time that the delegation led by Ahmed discussed the danger posed by the Islamic State group, which remains active in the region, perpetuating attacks, and the necessity of receiving support and assistance in political, economic, and military matters to defeat it.
The delegation also addressed the Turkish attacks targeting the region from time to time, highlighting the need to exert “pressure” on Turkey to stop these attacks.
Also, in October, Ilham Ahmed confirmed to German media the potential of areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration in Syria to receive returning Syrian refugees.
The Autonomous Administration’s initiative to communicate with Germany comes amid its continued failure over the years to obtain international recognition, alongside an ongoing war with Turkey, Syrian opposition factions, and the pressure exerted by the Syrian regime from another side.
While countries involved in political processes view the ongoing events as a “conflict” between two parties, the opposition and the regime, the Autonomous Administration remains outside this equation, as it is seen only as a partner of the International Coalition in combating the Islamic State in eastern Syria.
Lame efforts
At the end of October, Khaled Davrich, the representative of the Autonomous Administration in Germany, told the German Junge Welt newspaper that the administration calls for cooperation with Germany.
According to Davrich, AANES believes that much can be achieved through “enhancing our democracy, promoting women’s rights, and measures to combat extremism against political Islam. Based on this, we can discuss the possibility of achieving a dignified and safe return for refugees to Syria.”
Davrich also pointed out that one of their main goals is to ensure the return of everyone who wishes to return to their homeland.
He added that the Autonomous Administration has not yet initiated any discussions with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, as reported by the German newspaper.
Samer al-Ahmad, a researcher at the Omran Center for Strategic Studies, believes that the movements of AANES are part of its strategy to promote itself internationally and expand its network of international alliances in light of the concerns regarding the upcoming US elections and the potential changes in policies toward the region that may result from it.
Al-Ahmad stated, AANES, as a de facto authority lacking legitimacy, seeks to leap ahead and avoid internal obligations it faces regarding the components of the Syrian regions.
He added that these steps to enhance foreign relations remain “lame,” due to considerations related to AANES itself.
The researcher believed that the Autonomous Administration still lacks governmental legitimacy, especially since its record is full of human rights violations, which weakens its ability to gain legitimacy.
The quest for legitimacy
In 2017, the Russian news agency “Interfax” reported that the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) that underpins the Autonomous Administration, expressed its desire to participate in the National Dialogue conference in Sochi, Russia, with other Syrian parties.
Following the Russian agency’s disclosure about the YPG’s desire to attend Sochi, Russia sent an invitation; however, Turkey rejected it, as stated by the former presidency spokesperson, Ibrahim Kalin, at the time.
Turkey perceives the Autonomous Administration and its military wing, the SDF, as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and Europe.
Since then, AANES has remained hostage to the Turkish veto, which has prevented it from establishing relations with international parties, even with its primary supporter, the United States.
Researcher Samer al-Ahmad views that some active countries in the Syrian file refuse to include AANES in any international alliances or political tracks.
He added that the administration’s attempts always collide with strong Turkish objections, which continue to pose a significant obstacle to the external marketing efforts that the administration undertakes, making any endeavor to enhance international relations a precarious step.
The researcher downplayed the significance of these efforts, emphasizing that Ankara would not hesitate to pressure any country considering opening up to or cooperating with the Autonomous Administration.
Promoting in Germany
The head of foreign relations in the Autonomous Administration has sought to market the ideas and project of the administration in Germany since her arrival there, noting that Ahmed was a prominent member of the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and some European countries, including Germany.
On October 20, she stated that the Autonomous Administration is “unlimitedly” prepared to negotiate the return of Syrian refugees living in Germany to their homeland.
She added that over the past ten years, the administration has managed to establish an educational system, hospitals, and a complete administrative apparatus “from almost scratch,” although the educational system faces numerous problems it has been unable to resolve over the years.
Ahmed also mentioned, in promoting her project for the administration, that the region serves as “a melting pot for different ethnicities,” hence the existence of three official languages: Arabic, Kurdish, and Assyrian, in addition to English and French as foreign languages.
The Arab community in the region, especially in Deir Ezzor province, suffers from marginalization that led to protests and tensions against the Autonomous Administration, escalating into armed conflicts whose repercussions still linger in the region today.
According to Ilham Ahmed, the Autonomous Administration could accommodate a larger number of returnees, but first, infrastructure improvements, economic conditions, and reconstruction assistance are needed to prepare the region economically for this.
She proposed starting with small units immediately before preparing the necessary infrastructure for larger units, which could happen within a year, according to her perspective, noting at the same time that the Autonomous Administration is currently hosting around 20,000 Syrians who fled from Lebanon.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the military wing of the Autonomous Administration, controls northeastern Syria and enjoys US support, while its relations with neighboring countries, primarily Turkey, are strained.
Turkey continually threatens to expand its control in the region and classifies the Autonomous Administration’s forces as an extension of the banned PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization.
The Syrian regime views the administration as a separatist entity and demands that the US-supported forces withdraw from Syria.