Journalist İbrahim Varlı: "Every step in the PKK's symbolic disarmament ceremony was symbolic. Nothing was a coincidence"

Syria... A geography that determines the fate of a people in the Middle East, where global powers settle scores, and where proxy wars have left deep scars.

Veteran journalist İbrahim Varlı, who has been closely following this complex equation and the great humanitarian tragedy left in its wake for years, has compiled all his knowledge and observations in his book titled “The Syrian Trap: Anatomy of a Murder.” Published by Tekin Yayınevi, the book presents not only the chronology of a war but also the anatomy of the equations established by major powers in the region.

While answering questions from 12punto's Sercan Meriç, the experienced journalist Varlı evaluated all the developments in Syria, the historical and political background of the conflicts, the balance of power on the ground, and the reasons for the ongoing tensions with complete clarity. He deepened the field notes, testimonies, and analyses found between the lines of the book in this interview.

On the other hand, Varlı, who was among the journalists who recently observed the symbolic disarmament ceremony organized by the terrorist organization PKK in Sulaymaniyah on-site, also shared his observations in Sulaymaniyah, the atmosphere in the region, and the meaning of this development with 12punto readers in this interview.

Israel recently struck the General Staff headquarters and many other locations in Syria. Following this event, there were consecutive statements. What is happening in Syria?

In essence, a lot is happening in Syria. A bloody redesign of Syria is being organized. Because as of December 8, jihadists were brought to the country's administration. But this does not mean that the change and transformation in Syria are complete. Syria needs to be redesigned from within, exactly as America and Israel want. In other words, it is planned for the country to be partitioned based on ethnic, religious, cultural, and sectarian codes, and for the country to be shared among these groups in some way.

Why?

Because they are actually going to try to “Lebanonize” Syria.

What is Lebanonization?

The country needs to be partitioned and distributed based on ethnic, religious, and sectarian codes, and in this way, its internal stability needs to be made fragile so that it does not pose an obstacle to Israel and other imperial interests in the region. For this reason, they want to divide Syria into many pieces. This does not mean that the Syrian geography will be physically divided or dispersed. But just as it was done in the Balkans, in Bosnia, in Lebanon, and in Iraq, the aim is for the country to be partitioned and distributed among various groups, and for that power to be shared in some way. Because when this happens, every group and every structure will have protected itself against the other and will simultaneously have formed a front. Peoples and societies will have struggled against each other around that structure. They will demand more authority, more shares, more money, and more weapons. This will also cause the country to become fragile.

How similar is it to the situation in Iraq?

After Saddam was overthrown, the Presidency was given to the Kurds. The Prime Ministry was given to the Shiites. The Parliament Speakership was given to the Sunnis. The country was partitioned in this way.

What happened in Lebanon?

Again, with a similar formulation, it was divided among Shiites, Sunnis, and Christians. The President is a Christian. But the Prime Ministry is with the Sunnis. The Parliament Speakership is with the Shiites. When this happens, the structures are balanced against each other in a way. When this happens, you pave the way for Israel, America, or another global or regional power to do as they please in the region. Because it will have been dissolved from the strong nation-state understanding in a way, and a structure will have been created where everyone monitors everyone else and everyone is against everyone else. The groundwork for that is currently being prepared in Syria. The US, Israel, Western imperialism, and other reactionary regimes in the region did not bring the jihadists to power so that “Syria would be strong as before, Syria would democratize, become free, and jihadists would come and bring all power under their domination again.”

Why was it brought to this state?

They were brought to power so that Syria would be dispersed from within and dissolved from within. In the point we have reached from December 8 to today, in a period of six to seven months, they tried this in various ways. In the south of the country, the Druze declared their own autonomy. But this is not a decision that the Druze could take on their own. They do not possess such great power and influence. With Israel's authority and Israel's planning, and with their support, they declared autonomy in their convenience.

How would you define the position of the Kurds?

On the other side, in the north and northeast of the country, the Kurds, the Syrian Democratic Forces, have declared their de facto autonomous structures with the support of the US, England, France, and other Western countries. Here, only the Alawites are in a disadvantaged position. That is, they do not have armed forces protecting them. That is why they suffered a great massacre and slaughter in March. But other than that, every power has an actor it leans on. Gulf Arab countries, the US... Turkey is in the position of sponsor of the Jolani government. Since December 8, how many times has Jolani come to Turkey, come to Ankara, come to Istanbul.

Why did Israel attack Syria? Did Israel take a position against Jolani?

Syria is wanted to be transformed by suppressing it in accordance with this new period, and by forcing it a little, with blood and with a bomb. Why did this happen in the Druze village? They were going to bring Jolani into line. Because Jolani, that is, the jihadists, want a country where Syria is together as before and they manage it alone. They do not want a power or an actor other than themselves to exist in Syria. They also want the Kurds to integrate. Look, that is why the agreement made with the Kurds cannot be implemented. Most recently, Mazloum Abdi went to Damascus under the supervision of American and French officials and sat at the table with Jolani. No agreement came out of there. They cannot agree on basic issues. Exactly after that, there are Jolani's statements. The Kurds also challenged them. But there, the new US Ambassador to Turkey and the special envoy for Syria intervened. You know, he came out and made some statements: “We have no promise to establish or have a state established for the Kurds. We did not give them that assurance. We want them to integrate; if they integrate, it will be more beneficial for them. It is troublesome for them to exist in their current state; Trump's patience is running out, his patience is not limitless,” he said, giving an ultimatum clearly. Exactly while these were happening, a few days later, tension occurred between the Druze and Arab tribes in Suwayda and Daraa, where the Druze live predominantly. Jolani, who wanted to turn the tension into an opportunity, sent HTS units. These are very murderous structures, militias, even though they appear to be an army, they entered there, oppressed, and started killing. Israel turned this into an opportunity and carried out its counter-attack. And with these attacks, they are actually trying to pull Jolani to the negotiating table in a way. They said, “Either you sit at the table on our terms, or we will show you your limits.” The whole fight is actually about this.

What kind of table should be set up in Syria?

A negotiating table has to be set up in Syria one way or another. That is, these issues need to be resolved actively and de facto between the Kurds and the Damascus administration, and between the Druze and the Damascus administration. In the current situation, everyone is waiting with their weapons drawn. The Kurds are not handing over their weapons, and they will not, and they are waiting. The Druze are armed. There is the Suwayda Military Council. They are not handing over their weapons and are demanding autonomy, saying, “We need to be accepted in this way.” On the other side, there are jihadists, and some of the jihadists have broken away from HTS. There are very serious crises among them as well. Some of the radical Islamist gangs are still in the Idlib countryside... They are waiting in other parts of the country, ready for another armed uprising. Because they think that the HTS administration has compromised and become moderate with various actors.

Why do these groups have conflicts with the Jolani administration?

These gangs are radical Islamist, fundamentalist... They did not enter Syria so that democracy would come. They came so that a Sharia government, a Sharia regime would be established. Now, even though Jolani still wants this Sharia regime, he has not declared it. Because balances are needed. He wants international balances, regional balances, and guarantees. The peoples of Syria are against this. Jolani is also on a more realpolitik line. Other radical Islamist fundamentalists say, “We did not come for this. Let's establish the Islamic state immediately like the Taliban or ISIS.” The fight, and the friction, actually stems from there.

After Trump's words, “Erdoğan took Syria, he achieved a great success,” a propaganda was carried out in the government wing. On the other hand, Numan Kurtulmuş made the statement, “Israel's next target is Turkey.” What is Turkey's role in Syria during this whole process?

Turkey is trying to grab a role for itself among regional powers. Turkey is a player in the Syrian field.

Is it an effective player?

No, it is not. There are two countries that are effective in the Syrian field, in this bloody geography of Syria. One is America, the other is Israel. In fact, Israel is a country that is a bit more effective. Because it sees Syria as an existential issue for itself. It is in the position of an occupier in Syria. It occupied the Golan Heights in 1967. Later, it turned this occupation into annexation and officially settled there. After the jihadists took Damascus on December 8, it further developed its occupation there. Now, not content with that, it has started to see itself as the de facto patron of that place through the Druze and various actors there, and it is trying to legitimize this aggression. In this equation, Israel and the US did not sponsor the jihadists or pave the way for the jihadists so that Turkey would be effective in the Syrian field. Of course, Turkey also had an area it held in Syria. It had organizations close to it; it gathered them under the Free Syrian Army. Then it named them the Syrian National Army. Turkey has effectiveness, but it is far below Israel and the US. Turkey is a neighboring country in Syria and is in a fight of “I am here too, I have calculations too, so give me a share of the pie.” Of course, it will take one, but this share it will take from this pie will be small. Look, just the other day, the Jolani administration sold the operation of Tartus Port to the United Arab Emirates. They recently sold the Latakia Port to the French. They partitioned the country among themselves economically and politically in a way. Of course, Turkey will also enter Syria. As soon as Syria normalizes a little, the 'gang of 5' will go, contractors will go, they will build construction. But these are secondary things. The ones who are decisive there are Israel and the US. That is exactly why they overthrew the Assad administration. There is a multi-equation, multi-actor struggle on the Syrian leg. It is probably uncertain whether Jolani will remain in power. Even if he stays, the jihadists will probably fight among themselves, they will carry out coups against each other, they will carry out assassinations. Even if they don't, governments will change with Israeli intervention. So, this is an issue pregnant with many developments.

You went to Sulaymaniyah to watch the PKK's symbolic weapon burning action... What did you observe?

The PKK's first armed group symbolically burned weapons near Sulaymaniyah on July 11, and as they put it, they made their first gesture of goodwill. I was there as a journalist. The organization's number two, KCK co-chair Bese Hozat, was also there. She made a statement a few meters away from us. It was a short ceremony. We went as journalists. There were also journalists close to the government. It was said that they were completely with Turkish officials. They were not allowed to contact other journalists much. They sat by themselves there. They took photos of the ceremony. We all went to the ceremony area under great security measures, we were searched, and our mobile phones were taken when entering the area. But those journalists had phones. None of the Ahmet Türk, Leyla Zana, Tuncer Bakırhan, Cengiz Çandar, and other deputies and mass organization representatives who came there had phones. There were very strict rules. But those 6-7 journalists who went with the government's quota had phones, and they used those phones very comfortably.

What kind of security measure was there at the ceremony?

There were a lot of security personnel. There were security units of the Talabani administration. That was already their field. There were security elements of the Barzani administration. The KCK and the PKK had their own security. There was a situation where everyone could point a gun at everyone else at the slightest spark, intertwined. Serious measures were already taken so that it would not happen. Because it is a situation where the slightest provocation could produce a very different result. Of course, every step of that ceremony carried a meaning.

What kind of meaning?

Every step taken was symbolic. Nothing was a coincidence. The canyon chosen is a symbolic place.

Why?

It is a critical place in the struggle they waged against the British and the Ottomans in terms of the Kurds. It is the place they undertook in the struggle the Peshmerga waged against the Baath administration, the place where the first Kurdish newspaper was printed... It is important that the ceremony was held somewhere between Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. Because it was taken under the protection and umbrella of both the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. The symbolic importance of the dress Bese Hozat wore, the burning of the weapons in the fire is a historical myth for the Kurdish myth. Because it has a symbolic importance coming from Kawa the Blacksmith, coming from Newroz. The text expressed, that written text was very important. The calls they made to global powers are another political dimension... “We are laying down our arms, give us our assurance, our rights; if you don't, things will start over, return to the beginning,” statements... So, in summary, it was a ceremony full of symbols.