Dutch leader says EU eager to declare Syria stable to return migrants at cost of Kurds

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - European governments are rushing to portray Syria as stable to justify sending migrants back, even as Kurds in the country’s northeast face renewed pressure and insecurity, a senior Dutch politician warned, cautioning that Kurdish rights and self-rule risk being sacrificed.

Kati Piri, leader of the Dutch Social Democrats and vice president of the Party of European Socialists, told Rudaw Western capitals are increasingly focused on stability over minority rights, raising fears that Kurds in Rojava could once again be sidelined.

“So it's being forgotten who our true allies are in that region,” Piri said, referring to the Kurdish-led forces that fought the Islamic State (ISIS) alongside the US-led coalition.

Piri said she welcomed the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but voiced deep concern over the conduct of Syria’s interim authorities under President Ahmad al-Sharaa, particularly toward minorities.

“We saw what they did to the Druze in Suwayda. We saw what they did to the Alawites in the coastal areas. And these past few weeks, we saw what they did to the Kurds, starting with Aleppo and later … in Kobane,” she said.

Her remarks come as Kurdish-led authorities in northeast Syria face mounting pressure to integrate into the interim government in Damascus, amid recent fighting, sieges, and displacement linked to Syrian government offensives and allied factions.

Piri said Kurds had established a form of self-administration in northeast Syria since 2012 and played a key role in defeating ISIS, but she fears they are now being abandoned.

“What I see and fear today is betrayal of the Kurds,” she said, arguing that Western governments, particularly the US, are primarily focused on ensuring a stable Syria, even if that means ignoring minority protections.

She said Europe is also driven by domestic political pressures linked to migration. “One of the interests European governments have is to send Syrian migrants back to Syria as soon as possible,” Piri said, adding that this creates an incentive to downplay ongoing insecurity. “But I think Kurds shouldn't pay the price for this.”

Addressing concerns that recent US moves, including the transfer of ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq, signal a withdrawal of support for Kurdish autonomy, Piri said the issue reflects deeper mistrust of Damascus.

“It’s not coincidental that America is now transferring ISIS prisoners to Iraq,” she said, adding that there is doubt those detainees would remain imprisoned under the current authorities in Damascus.

Piri said she shares Kurdish fears about their future under Syria’s interim government. “Let me say I have the same concern they do,” she said, stressing that any political settlement must include a ceasefire and guarantees for Kurdish rights and self-administration.

On security, Piri said the potential release or escape of ISIS detainees poses a real risk to Europe. She noted that thousands of Kurds were killed fighting ISIS. “They didn’t do it just for themselves, but protected us, too,” she said, warning that instability in Syria could have direct consequences for European security.

The following is the full transcript of the interview with Kati Piri:

Rudaw: In Syria, a government has come to power that says it has turned a new page and that the country will be inclusive. Kurds are being pushed by their allies to adapt themselves to the new authorities in Damascus. Is the current situation such that Kurds should be told to adapt themselves to the interim authorities in Damascus?

Kati Piri: I am very concerned about the situation there. I think we are all happy that Bashar al-Assad is gone. This was good news. But we are very concerned about the behavior of the new authorities in Damascus. We saw what they did to the Druze in Suwayda. We saw what they did to the Alawites in the coastal areas. And these past few weeks, we saw what they did to the Kurds, starting with Aleppo and later, for example, what happened these past few days in Kobane. So our concern and worry is about how democratic this transitional government in Syria is? Also, how do they treat minorities in Syria? What we have seen is that Kurds have established a kind of autonomy and self-administration in the west since 2012. They were also allies of Western countries. They fought against jihadists and ISIS. But what I see and fear today is betrayal of the Kurds. Because Western countries, especially America, only care about having a stable Syria. So they act as if other components in that country don't exist. Europe is also using this to be able to deport Syrian migrants. So it's being forgotten who our true allies are in that region.

Has Kurdish autonomy and Western countries' alliance with Kurds in Syria become unnecessary?

I think the message was disgraceful. I'm also happy that critical voices are heard in America, both in the Senate and in Congress. There are many politicians who know very well what a major role Kurds played in confronting extremism. Fortunately, not everyone has forgotten this. This gives me hope. Let's also be honest, it's not coincidental that America is now transferring ISIS prisoners to Iraq. Because they have no confidence that under the supervision of the current government in Damascus, those ISIS prisoners won't be released. This is also evidence that there is doubt within the American administration about trusting the Damascus authorities and being certain they won't help jihadists.

There is doubt, and ISIS prisoners are being transferred, but Kurds see this as an indication that the transfer is to end their autonomy and leave them no excuse to protect them.

This would be strange, but some such indications are seen from America, too. I think many people in Western countries don't understand something very well, and that is the great feeling [of unity] shared among Kurds. Not only among Kurds in the west, but you see very large demonstrations in Erbil about what's happening in Syria. Look at southern Turkey and see how sympathetic they are to Syrian Kurds. Kurds' rights have been suppressed in many countries. So that autonomy they established for themselves in Syria over those years should remain as self-administration under Syria's central authority and with the rights they have as any Syrian citizen, which Kurds lack. So I understand that many Kurds in the west now have that feeling that under the shadow of al-Sharaa and his government, there's no guarantee they'll remain protected.

Do you also think they're right to think that way?

Let me say I have the same concern they do. I have the same concern. What's important now is that there's a ceasefire. To return to an agreement that was made earlier, not the one made today [Friday]. There, it was clarified how Kurds will be brought into the central government in Damascus. It was also clarified how a kind of autonomy and Kurdish rights will be established and promised. So here in the Dutch Parliament, we passed a draft resolution in that direction, for which a large majority, from left to right, voted.

How can the Netherlands and the European Union ensure that the ceasefire is not broken and adhered to?

In my opinion, it's important for our politicians and decision-makers to talk with the Kurdish diaspora about this. A very large number of Kurds are here who have been demonstrating for weeks. They should be welcomed and talked to, to know what information and messages they have. I feel our government here doesn't know what's happening in that region well. The very fact that little importance was given to Kobane while it was being cut off from water, electricity and internet for weeks, being under military siege, and which groups did that. So the first thing is that information should be obtained through the Kurdish diaspora. Second, you must understand the historical meaning of Syria's events and the history of the Kurds, too. Then you know it's true, it's easy to say let Syria also have a central government like The Hague, like the Netherlands. But when you look at the history there and, as I said, since 2012, when Kurds have had a kind of autonomy, you can't say from tomorrow everything must be ended. This won't succeed.

But this could happen in the coming days.

Yes, but I don't think this will bring stability to Syria. I don't think it will bring stability to the region in general either. I feel that Western countries haven't understood well how major the consequences of such a thing would be for the entire region.

We hear voices from Turkey saying that if what they call “the Rojava issue” is eliminated, whether through military means or any other way, then the peace process in Turkey will progress better. What do you think?

I don't believe that if you take away rights from Kurds in one place, it will cause you to give more rights to Kurds in another place. I think in Turkey, Kurds have made sincere efforts for peace to prevail, through [Abdullah] Ocalan's call. The Turkish government still hasn't responded to that effort. You also see that the Syrian government has much more influence over the Damascus government’s policy. We've seen this in recent days. I think there must also be a change in thinking in Turkey, by not always seeing Kurds as a threat, but seeing them as compatriots who deserve equal rights. What I said ten years ago is the same thing for now, and that is, democracy in Turkey is achieved by making a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue.

If we talk about ISIS militants again, how serious is the threat that they will return to Europe and the Netherlands once more?

I think it's a serious concern. That's why Kurds weren't wrong for years in saying this, because ISIS also had European and Dutch fighters. Kurds paid a great price in that war. More than ten to twelve thousand Kurds lost their lives in the war against ISIS, so that we would also be protected here. Meaning they didn't do it just for themselves, but protected us, too. Many governments here didn't listen to the Kurds' demand when they said take those ISIS members back to your countries and try them there. So now we're faced with this situation we're in where the prisoners are no longer in SDF hands

Many of them are no longer there.

Many are no longer there. We also saw some of them escaped or were released, because we don't know exactly what happened there. So undoubtedly this is a risk for the Netherlands' security.

You have many contacts and friends among European politicians. Do you feel Kurds have the necessary support at the European level?

The good thing is that whether you talk about the Dutch Parliament or the European Parliament, Kurds have the necessary support. Most often, it's our governments that have opposing interests. Let's look at European governments, where recently many parliamentary elections have been decided on the migration issue. So one of the interests European governments have is to send Syrian migrants back to Syria as soon as possible. So it's not good to say there's no security in Syria, or genocide has been committed there or those ISIS members there have been released. Rather, governments want to say there's stability there, and there's work being done for reconstruction. So migrants can be sent back. But I think Kurds shouldn't pay the price for this.

At first, you told me you're a great friend of the Kurds, but you're also very frank and critical of us.

Very Dutch of me!

True, very Dutch of you. What have we Kurds done wrong in recent years?

You know... I think you can't say Kurds have done something wrong. In the past twelve years, Kurds have shown in the war against jihadists how loyal and honest they are. I think sometimes Kurds pin their hopes on getting a response to that loyalty, and they deserve it. But sometimes they don't get that response, once from Russia, once from the Americans, and perhaps a third time from the European Union. So I understand that after that, their hearts break. But I also see that many of those Kurds who don't live in Kurdistan and are in Western countries haven't forgotten Kurdistan. So they're here every day, demonstrating and demanding attention. Fortunately, I also see there are many politicians in our countries who haven't forgotten the Kurds. They know they are our important allies in the war against jihadists. I hope we, too, can do something in the coming days to guarantee the protection of the Kurds.


Hemin Abdullah contributed to this report.