All the actors' attention is on Syria

Policy Service

Syria , where the internal peace process actors are turning their attention, is experiencing intense traffic both on the ground and at the negotiating table. The region has witnessed numerous interconnected developments in the last 48 hours, and the negotiation process between the US, Damascus, and the SDF has accelerated. Around the same time that US President Trump arrived in the Middle East, the SDF, operating in northeastern Syria, reached a preliminary agreement to integrate into the Syrian army. The agreement includes the incorporation of militants and weapons into the army. The organization also agreed to hand over the oil fields in Deir ez-Zor to the Damascus administration.

The incorporation of militants and weapons affiliated with the SDF into the Syrian army has long been a matter of debate and a key condition of the October 10th agreement. The Syrian government and the organization have taken a step in this regard. The SDF also announced that the oil fields in Deir ez-Zor would be transferred to the Syrian government. However, the organization's leader, Mazlum Abdi, added, "Our withdrawal from Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor is not open to discussion. The Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Hasaki files are linked to Syria's future governance system."

High-level Turkish and Syrian officials met in Ankara on October 12. The meeting, hosted by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, was attended by National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Director İbrahim Kalın from Turkey, while Foreign Minister Assad Hasan Şeybani, Defense Minister Murhaf Ebu Kasra, and Intelligence Director Hüseyin el-Salamé from Syria.

REQUEST FOR REGULAR MEETINGS

Meanwhile, domestic politics, where the impact of regional developments is most acutely felt, has also intensified. As discussions continue regarding a meeting between a delegation from the commission and Öcalan, former Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Bülent Arınç supported the DEM Party and MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli's calls for a meeting with Öcalan, saying, "If no one volunteers for this, I will go to İmralı and meet with Öcalan myself, if necessary." DEM Party Deputy Group Chair Sezai Temelli made statements on the peace process at a press conference held in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Referring to the work of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission, Temelli said, "The commission is conducting internal negotiations, but there is also an external leg to the negotiations. You will conduct this negotiation externally with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan . This needs to be scheduled as soon as possible, and the delegation that will go needs to be determined." Temelli emphasized that the process should not be limited to a one-time meeting: “Our hope is for a strong commission committee, a committee that ensures everyone's representation. The commission committee isn't a one-time event; regular traffic and meetings are possible. We expect everyone's efforts in this regard.” Temelli stated that there is no timetable for the commission's meeting with PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

SÖZCÜ TV AND TELE1 CLAIM

Meanwhile, PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan's message to the media, delivered through Pervin Buldan, was interpreted as a request for censorship, and Yıldıray Oğur wrote about the channels that addressed this request. Oğur stated, "According to what I've learned from sources in Ankara, Öcalan has also started watching Sözcü TV and TELE 1 TV for a while now. He was already watching some other government and opposition channels. But on the latest channels he's been watching, he's probably seen passionate objections to the peace process for the first time, and he's been surprised by this."

Mehmet Uçum, Chief Advisor to the President and Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Legal Policies Board, stated in his article last Sunday that this period, which will pave the way for Türkiye's rise, has two main phases: the "transition" and the "democracy development" processes. Uçum stated, "These two main phases should never be intertwined. In other words, the "Transition to a Terror-Free Türkiye" and the "Democracy Development Process" must be addressed separately."

Additionally, the chanting of the slogan "Long live leader Apo" by the DEM Party group in the Turkish Grand National Assembly sparked controversy. Following the outcry, the incident was brought to court. The Turkish Veterans and Martyrs' Families Foundation filed a criminal complaint against the DEM Party group.

∗∗∗

WOMEN AND YOUTH WILL BE HEARD THIS WEEK

The resolution process commission established in Parliament will hear from youth and women's organizations this week. The National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission will convene on Wednesday. Women's and youth organizations will be heard in this week's meeting of the commission. In the first session of the meeting, representatives of the Turkish Youth Foundation (TÜGVA), the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3), the Young Peacebuilders Association, the Youth Organizations Forum (GoFor), the Anatolian Youth Association (AGD), and the National Turkish Students Union (MTTB) will be heard; in the second session, representatives of the Women and Democracy Association (KADEM), the October 29 Women's Association (29 EKD), the Peace Need Women's Initiative, the Turkish Businesswomen's Association (TİKAD), and the Caspian Education, Culture and Solidarity Association will be heard. The Free Women's Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) will also be present among the women's organizations.