Sihanouk Debo, a member of the Syrian Kurdish Communications Council, stated that the current phase in Syria should not merely be a period for testing the intentions of Damascus and the Kurdish movement, and called for the initiation of a real and inclusive dialogue. He emphasized that this dialogue should lead to the recognition of Kurdish rights, the determination of the form of government, the guarantee of citizenship rights, and ultimately the formulation of a new social contract in Syria.
The Necessity of Addressing the Kurdish Issue
Debo expressed in an interview that the new Damascus speaks of a "new Syria" and "rights for all." This discourse necessitates that the Kurdish issue be treated as a political and historical matter, rather than merely examined within the framework of a security and administrative file.
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He added that the Kurdish issue should not be limited to topics such as the integration of forces and institutions or the return of employees, and that discussions should also address the political and historical roots of this issue.
The Need for a Change in Damascus's Approach
According to Debo, the Kurdish movement has entered the dialogue process with the expectation of the recognition of Kurdish rights. He believes that Damascus, before moving towards recognizing these rights, expects "complete surrender" from the other side, which he considers an inappropriate equation for the current phase.
Debo identified the recognition of Kurdish rights in the constitution, the determination of the form of the Syrian government, and the guarantee of citizenship rights as some of the most important issues that must be resolved in the dialogue process. He emphasized that we must move beyond vague phrases like "rights for all" and clearly recognize the existence of the Kurdish nation and their linguistic, cultural, and political rights in the Syrian constitution.
Debo also regarded the issue of decentralization and the form of the future Syrian government as one of the main points of contention, asking whether Syria will remain a fully centralized state or move towards a "broad Syrian decentralization" that guarantees the real participation of various groups.
He concluded by calling for the formulation of a new constitution that guarantees the linguistic, cultural, and national rights of the Kurds and emphasized that citizenship in the new Syria should be based on participation and representation, not quotas.
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