Ibrahim Al-Qaftan to the Ugarit Post: The Syrian government resorts to settlements because it does not believe in a radical solution to the crisis.. We fear that reconciliations will lead to the entry of saboteurs into the region

What are the reasons for the Syrian government’s resort to settlements in northern and eastern Syria?

The Syrian government is resorting to settlements in northeastern Syria because it does not believe in a radical solution to the Syrian crisis. Therefore, it is trying to storm the citadel from the inside, especially the areas of northeastern Syria, being the main incubator for the Autonomous Administration, where the decentralization project began in Syria, which was adopted by many regional parties and the international community.

Do you think that the settlement model succeeded in Daraa and the rest of the regions, and will the settlements be implemented in northern and eastern Syria?

There is a big difference between Daraa and the areas of northeastern Syria. Daraa still maintains the previous mentality and seeks only to overthrow the regime and does not have a new project, but the situation here in northeastern Syria is different. There are military forces and several democratic administrations as a living model that can be applied in all Syrian regions within a democratic project that accepts the brotherhood of peoples and pluralism. The solution to the Syrian crisis is only dialogue, not armed struggle.

Can the settlements be considered a model for the solution in Syria, or is the government trying to evade real solutions through these settlements?

Settlements cannot be a model for a solution in Syria. The Syrian government is evading finding solutions. I said earlier that the government is only seeking through settlements to convince the international community that it has an incubator in northeastern Syria.

Why does the Autonomous Administration reject settlements and reconciliations and threaten to dismiss its employees who conclude settlements with the government?

The Autonomous Administration did not reject settlements and reconciliations, but rather seeks to create a clear rational situation for the people of northeastern Syria, and if the “regime” really wants reconciliation, why not sit with the officials in the Autonomous Administration? The “regime” is working to create divisions between clans and components, which is exacerbating the crisis more and more.. Therefore, we fear that these reconciliations will lead to the entry of saboteurs and ideological cells into the region promoted by the Syrian regime.

Do the settlements made by the government in eastern Syria affect the dialogue with the Autonomous Administration?

The Syrian government resorts to settlements in northeastern Syria because it does not believe in a radical solution to the Syrian crisis. Therefore, it is trying to storm the citadel from the inside, especially the areas of northeastern Syria, as it is the main incubator of the Autonomous Administration, where the decentralization project began to prevail in Syria, and it was adopted by many regional parties and the international community. This proves that the “regime” is still not convinced of solving the Syrian crisis through logical settlements, dialogue.

What are the other solutions for the regions of northern and eastern Syria as long as settlements are not a solution?

The solutions that we propose in northeastern Syria are to have fair elections, a transitional government, a new constitution, and the participation of the Autonomous Administration and the Syrian Democratic Council in the Syrian-Syrian dialogue within international forums. Therefore, the main gateway to resolving the Syrian crisis is to formulate a constitution that guarantees the rights of all components of the Syrian people. settlements are not a solution. Rather, they will deepen and prolong the crisis in Syria. The solution instead of settlements is the adoption of a decentralized and democratic system in Syria.