Syria to face new page of "confrontation"

Following the resignation of the Syrian opposition leader Burhan Ghalioun, the opposition chose a new leader of Kurdish origin Abdulbasit Sieda during a meeting in Istanbul. Abdulbasit Sieda has been in exile in Sweden for 20 years.

In his first statement, a new leader described the increased confrontation in the country and increased number of killed civilians as hopelessness of Syrian President Bashar al Assad's regime.

One of the most interesting statements of Abdulbasit Sieda was the expression of a desire to strengthen the ties between the Syrian transitional government and the free Syrian army.

Electing a leader of Kurdish origin by the Syrian opposition from the first sight bears no special significance. However, this is a particular message to citizens of Kurdish origin of the country and region.

In fact, electing Abdulbasit Sieda is one of the steps taken to intensify Syrian Kurds in the fight against Assad's regime.

In other words, it is assumed that after electing Abdulbasit Sieda, Syrian Kurds will operate more actively against Assad's regime. It should be recalled that former leader of the opposition supported the unitary state system in Syria after Assad's regime collapsed, and along with it, Ghalioun did not accept the existence of "Syrian Kurdistan".

But Kurdish opposition in Syria has repeatedly stated earlier that one of the main objectives after Assad's regime collapsed is to establish a secular federal system and to represent Kurds in the federation as the leading element, rather than a minority.

One can assume that the main reason of freezing the political activity of the Kurdish opposition in Syria against the regime was based on the political misunderstanding with the "Syrian Transitional Government".

Besides the Kurdish administration in northern Iraq, Turkey is also interested in uniting Kurds in the region into a single political force because uniting Syrian Kurds in a single political force may create the basis to prevent PKK's armed activity.

But despite all this, Syria's all Kurds will unlikely to unanimously unite in a single political force, at least, due to the fact that the terrorist organization PKK operates in the region. This problem must be resolved. At present, this terrorist organization actively operates in Syria.

Of course, Turkey and the Kurdish administration of Iraq know the PKK problem will not be resolved easily and that is why both sides are taking several measures.

Thus, Spokesman for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (Yekîtîya Ni?timanîya Kurdistan) Azad Jundiyani said the president is negotiating with the PKK to refuse from the armed resistance. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is considered to be Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's party.

Jundiyani also stressed that Talabani will be engaged in the mediation mission till the confrontation between Turkey and the PKK is over. We will see the result soon.

Turkey has taken some steps in this direction. Thus, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said that if the terrorist organization PKK stops armed resistance, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's transferring to house arrest can be discussed. Ocalan is incarcerated in Imraly prison.

But despite all this, the PKK will unlikely to stop the armed resistance.


Rufiz Hafizoglu /Trend/