“We will not accept any constitution imposed on us”
Syria has been fighting on behalf of the world against terror groups, which include ISIS, Al Qaeda, Al Nusra Front and all the radical fighters.
As part of peace efforts for Syria, a Syrian Constitutional Committee will be launched today in Geneva to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict. In an exclusive interview in New Delhi Syrian Ambassador to India HE Riad Abbas spoke to Aditi Bhaduri about the current situation in Syria and hopes for a settlement.
Please explain to us about what is unfolding in northern Syria.
Well, all the countries of our region has been affected by the Muslim Brotherhood, especially its religious extremism. And the President of Turkey Mr. Reccep Tayyip Erdogan is the suppoter of the Muslim Brotherhood and his aim [was] to revive the Ottoman Empire in the Arab region. That is why from the beginning of the Arab spring he was its main sponsor in the Arab countries, [in order] to destroy all the secular countries and to replace them with radical Islam.
It was a big conspiracy against Arab countries; it was not an Arab spring but an Islamist winter, a bloody winter which destroyed those countries. It was not for stability, or for reforms or democracy. It received support from the USA, some GCC countries, but the main sponsor for this, especially what happened in our country, was Turkey and President Erdogan. He failed to build his Ottoman empire and the American project failed in the in the Middle East.
In the end they decided to get involved in Syria and this Turkish aggression against Syria is the result. This was to create the security zones in Syria but the main thing is that it came as an agreement between Mr. Erdogan and the Americans because of two things: Turkish army has to control and protect the terror groups operating on the grounds in Syria and especially members of the ISIS. Second, the agreement allows Erdogan to control 18 kms inside Syrian territory. When he controls this territory he has to divide it into two parts – in one part [bordering Turkey] he would put all the rebels like the Free Syrian Army, the Al Nusra Front, and the jihadis between Turkey and the other part where he would put the Kurdish people to drive this jihadist wedge between the Turkish Kurds and the Syrian Kurds. He will later use these jihadis to cooperate with the Turkish army.
However, Turkey has occupied 30 kms of Syrian territory and he could not control all the ISIS members, as many of them escaped. That is why President Trump is angry and announced sanctions on Turkey. In the end Mr. Trump sent his Deputy to Turkey and now they signed another agreement to allow the Kurdish army to pull out to safety from this area to our side. However, the aims of Mr. Erdogan is to control this land where the national resources [oil fields] of Syria [is located].
The Kurdish forces have pulled out from this area and our army has now entered it to retake the land and to defeat all the terror groups there.
What are your views on the Sochi agreement reached between Russian President Putin and Turkish President Erdogan for a ceasefire in northern Syria.
Last week Mr. Putin and Mr. Erdogan met to agree for a ceasefire in that area and for the Kurdish forces and people to move out from there and our army will move in and liberate the land. So this way our ally struck an agreement with Turkey, or we would have had to go to war. So it was [better] to resolve it in a political way, and the Syrian army can take back under its control all the territory. In this area there are almost 30,000 ISIS members present.
So we have been hearing about the prison breaks and ISIS prisoners escaping. How does Syria view this?
Syria has been fighting on behalf of the world against terror groups, which include ISIS, Al Qaeda, Al Nusra Front and all the radical fighters. Where do these groups get support from?
Some intelligence reports have come from our allies that the Americans are taking out some of these ISIS leaders and transporting them to Afghanistan in South Asia and to Libya and Yemen. So this war against terrorism is a ghost [war].
But now President Trump has ordered all troops to depart from Syria and announced disengagement from Syria. And in general, the US is withdrawing gradually from the region.
The American army is not in a [good] position to fight on the territory of Syria. In the beginning, we fought against the Americans through a proxy war. They used more than 200 mercenaries to fight against us. We have defeated them and now we our [Syrian] army is face to face with the American army.
The Americans had only 1000 strong troops there and what can they do with such strength? So they had to pull out…… No foreign power can remain on the territory of Syria. We will do what we have to for our own security, in consultation with our allies, to defeat terrorism on our soil. The greatest cross border terrorism came to Syria through Turkey.
We are against cross border terrorism everywhere.
Would Syria allow a Kurdish autonomous area, like Iraq has allowed? Having such an autonomous Kurdish region would also be an irritant for Turkey.
It is not allowed in our constitution. You cannot divide the country on any ethnic or religious basis. The Kurdish [people] are our citizens, our people. They are Syrian citizens. Some of them were corrupted by foreign money and instigated to create autonomous [zone] in northern Syria.
But our president announced long time ago that we will liberate al the lands and bring it back under the control of our army and our government.
But they [the Kurdish people] will have their human rights and other rights as all other Syrians do. Some of them they are ministers in the government, members of parliament, some even represent Syria abroad.
Now with the constitutional committee being launched will Syria agree to what the Russians have suggested – having Syria’s many communities named in the constitution to secure their rights?
From the beginning of the discussions [regarding the constitution] our President and leaders have invited all Syrians to a round table and to discuss the future of Syria for reforms and for a new constitution. So now we will be having a new constitution but we will not accept any constitution imposed on us by anyone parachuting from some foreign land. The constitution has to be from the Syrian people and for the benefit of the Syrian people.
We will [thereafter] also make a referendum for the Syrian people as to whether they will accept the constitution or not.
We have sent names of our candidates. At the meeting the timelines will be announced.
The earlier Syrian constitution had the clause that only a Muslim can be president. Will the new constitution retain the clause?
Our country is Islamic. About 96% of our people are Muslims. So we had this article. Whether we retain it or not will be decided by the discussions [for the new constitution].
How is Syria’s relationship with the Arab League now?
The Arab League is an international organisation. We pulled out of it but we are not interested in coming back [to it]. This organisation is of no use, they have not done anything for any Arab cause. What have they done for any Arab cause or country, like Palestine, Iraq, Libya? Since Syria left it, it has almost disappeared, because Syria strongly believed in Arab [nationalism]. We have been reinstated in it now, but we are not really interested in it.
But Syria has now re-established ties with some GCC countries?
I tell you very openly that we did not break off relations with all GCC countries [throughout the civil war]. But we maintained ties covertly, because some of them were under the pressure of their friends to severe ties with us. So now we have good relations with most of them, our embassies are functioning in their countries. Except for Saudi Arabia and Qatar, we have good relations with all the other GCC members.
India is once again engaging with Syria. Our ambassador has gone back to Damascus, and a number of agreements have been signed between the two countries. How are bilateral relations moving?
India is a strong country; it has a strong voice in the international arena. India does not listen to others, it takes its own independent decisions, and it never closed its embassy in Damascus, throughout [the civil war]. India took a good stand on Syrian issue, which has three principles: against any external intervention Syria; allow the aspirations of the Syrian people; and political solution [to be found] among Syrians themselves.
Since the beginning of the civil war, they [have] supported Syria politically in all international organisations; India has sent grants for Syrian people, sent food, medicines. We are grateful to Prime Minister Modi for announcing 1000 scholarships for Syrian students to study in India.
We want to enhance bilateral relations further.
We are waiting to see more Indian companies in Syria and to help our government to rebuild Syria. I was instructed by our President to facilitate the way for the Indian companies to come to Syria and there is full support from our side for India to come and help us in Syria. There are already many Indian companies in Syria, both in the state and in the private sector. Companies like BHEL and Apollo are active in Syria.
We have also had some high level delegation visits between our countries and we look forward to enhancing our political and economic ties. A month ago the Indian minister for state for external affairs was in Syria and some Syrian ministers visited India. More recently our foreign minister met Indian external affairs minister Mr. Jaishanker on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
We have always had good relations with India. Syria has always supported India, including in the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation). Syria is the only Arab country that supported India in the OIC.
We are satisfied with the Indian government’s statement on the Turkish aggression in Syria. This is what we expect from a friendly country,
What do you think of the close Turkish Pakistan alliance?
Well, [President] Erdogan is the leader of the party that is close to the Muslim Brotherhood. And they have good connections with Islamic ummah everywhere. And so they have good relations with Pakistan and there is a military agreement between both countries.
However, we are against cross-border terrorism everywhere and we are in favour of any decision by the Indian government that is beneficial for its people on the ground, [or] for stability and security of Indian people. The Indian government, like any government, has the right to do whatever it has to in order to protect its people. We believe Article 370 [and reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir] is the internal issue of the Indian government. And on behalf of my government I can assure you that we support India and are with India against cross-border terrorism and against any country that exports terrorism.
