Following the fall of the 61-year-old Ba'ath regime in Syria on December 8, 2024, negotiations between the interim government established in Damascus and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) continue for the construction of a new system in the country.

 

While these talks continue, delegations from different countries frequently visit the AANES to discuss both the situation within the Autonomous Administration and the broader situation in Syria.

 

At the end of May, 2025, a delegation from Germany made a series of visits to the AANES. Philip Degenhardt, Deputy Executive Director and Head of Division at the Centre for International Dialogue and Cooperation of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, who was part of the delegation, shared his evaluation of the visits.

 

“A DEMOCRATIC AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETY”

 

Stating that they visited Northern Iraq, Shengal, and finally North and East Syria, Degenhardt underlined that the political system being built within the Autonomous Administration is different from all other systems in the region: “The political system they're trying to build up is really different from everything else we could see in the region. They're really trying their best to build up a democratic and inclusive society, a political system where men and women are heard, where all the different ethnicities are heard. In every talk with the people sitting in front of us we could see more different settings and different people sitting on the table than it would be in other political talks outside of Rojava.”

 

Emphasizing that it is not possible to develop a progressive and democratic model without including women, men, and all ethnic groups, Degenhardt added: “There are a lot of different examples also outside of the Middle East, but if we look into the Middle East and the situation we have there, also in the neighbouring countries, then AANES is most likely the most promising model we can see from a left perspective.”

 

“RECOGNIZING ROJAVA IS VERY IMPORTANT”

 

Degenhardt stressed the importance of recognizing the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria: “In the European Parliament (EP) we had a resolution adopted after the fall of the Assad regime that is mentioning the recognition of Rojava. In my opinion it is very important that not just the European countries, the European Union (EU), but all other stakeholders all around the world are recognizing Rojava officially. For Germany, it would be important to open a consulate there, to have like more diplomatic exchange than it is possible at the moment. At the moment we don't have a consulate there and I know that the party we're affiliated to the German Left Party is definitely pushing for this issue.”

 

“THERE NEEDS TO BE A PROPER PEACE PROCESS”

 

Referring to their visits, Degenhardt said that Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” and the PKK’s decision to end its activities have brought great hope to people in the region: “There needs to be a proper peace process also. This is something we will have to see and we know that some analysts are very worried that if a peace process doesn't happen soon that the violent attacks will come back. The task of the international community is to support this peace process and to talk to Turkey.”

 

“ÖCALAN AND POLITICAL PRISONERS MUST BE RELEASED”

 

Highlighting the necessity of releasing Abdullah Öcalan and political prisoners as part of the process, Degenhardt recalled the “I want to meet Öcalan” campaign and said: “Now there is a call to action; people like MEP Martin Schirdewan saying ‘I want to meet Öcalan’ are an example of this. The fact that people are willing to visit him, to talk to him, could be the first step towards drawing attention to his situation. But in the short or medium term, Abdullah Öcalan and all political prisoners must be released. Their release must become a clear political standard as part of the peace process.”

 

MA / Hîvda Çelebi