Al-Jolani pledges to integrate Kurds into new Syria

The leader of the Syrian rebels, Abu Mohamed Al-Jolani, has promised to integrate the Kurds into the new power structure with the aim of reducing ethnic tensions in the country. Al-Jolani stressed that the Kurds ‘are part of the homeland’ and will live together in the new Syria, guaranteeing that ‘everyone will get their rights by law’.

In a video, the insurgent leader recalled that the Kurds had suffered a ‘great injustice’, saying that ‘God willing, the injustice will be eliminated’. ‘God willing, in the Syria to come, the Kurds will be fundamental. We will live together, God willing, and everyone will get their rights by law. There will be no more injustice from today on our Kurdish people,’ he added.  

Al-Jolani also referred to areas illegally occupied by Turkey, such as Afrin, where he vowed to try to return Kurdish citizens. In 2018, Turkish forces, along with allied Syrian rebel groups such as the Syrian National Army (SNA), seized the city, which until then was under the control of Kurdish forces, mainly the People's Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia that Turkey considers linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an organisation classified as a terrorist organisation by Ankara.

Turkey has established a military presence in the region and promoted the relocation of Syrian refugees to Afrin, which has led to tensions with the local Kurdish population and other communities.

Regarding the political future of the country, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) stated that ‘the form of authority will be determined by experts, jurists and the Syrian people’. Al-Jolani explained that, in the next stage of the process, ‘free and fair elections’ will be organised in Syria. 

He said specialised committees are being formed to review the constitution to ensure fairness and transparency. ‘The next phase in the country will include a comprehensive solution for all armed factions, and the possession of weapons outside the framework of the authority of the Syrian state will not be allowed,’ he said. This approach, he added, reflects his commitment to restoring stability and extending state sovereignty throughout Syrian territory.

At this point, he also revealed his intention to abolish compulsory military service, indicating that, in cases of extreme danger, there will be general mobilisation. For decades, Syria has maintained a policy of compulsory military service, establishing by law an 18-month period of service, according to a legislative amendment passed in 2011. It is not yet known what effect the decision - if implemented - will have on the security situation in Syria, which faces threats such as the growing activity of the Daesh terrorist group.  

Regarding the relationship with its neighbours, and in particular with Israel, al-Jolani has stated that his forces do not seek new conflicts. The rebel leader condemned what he described as Israel's ‘flimsy’ excuses to justify its air strikes. However, he stressed that the rebels must not be distracted from the crucial task of rebuilding the country, according to an interview published by Syria's pro-opposition Syrian television channel, Syria TV.

For the time being, in order to protect its national security, Israel has already destroyed 80% of the capabilities of al-Assad's army. Similarly, the IDF has eliminated more than 90% of Syria's strategic surface-to-air missile systems. It has also bombed many of the former regime's chemical weapons factories and stockpiles to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremist groups.  

Meanwhile, Israeli forces entered a UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights hours after the rebels seized Damascus. Israel has stated that it will not become directly involved in the Syrian conflict and has justified its presence in the area, established in 1974, as a defensive and temporary measure until it can guarantee security along the border.

Despite accusing Israel of crossing the lines of engagement, al-Jolani stressed that its current priorities ‘are to meet the basic needs of the people and to work towards a more stable and just future’.