İbrahim Varlı
It is a given reality, expressed by all parties, that the resolution process in Turkey is indexed to Syria and that steps are being taken internally in light of developments in the Middle East. The process itself was not initiated with the motive of finding a solution to the Kurdish issue. While the regime’s partners do not even acknowledge the problem itself, the process was initiated by Bahçeli and Erdoğan, citing developments here in response to Israel’s actions in Syria.
Naturally, Syria, to which the process is so closely tied, also determines the domestic political climate. The ‘sensational’ Imrali visit by the Parliamentary Commission established to address the process, which each party defines in different ways, also showed that Syria is the main sticking point.
THE DELEGATION’S TRIP TO IMRALI
The following emphasis in the Parliament Presidency’s statement on the meeting summarises the situation: “In addition to statements regarding the organisation’s dissolution and laying down of arms, detailed statements were taken within the scope of questions asked regarding the implementation of the 10 March Agreement in Syria. As a result of the meeting, positive outcomes were achieved in terms of social integration, strengthening brotherhood, and advancing the process from a regional perspective.”
The 10 March Agreement signed between the SDG and Damascus envisages the integration of the Kurds’ military, economic, and civil institutions and their defined entities into the central administration. However, a few days after this agreement, the ‘provisional constitution’ accepted by Colani disregarded the existence of the Kurds. For this reason, the agreement is not working in practice.
AN IMPERIALIST CONSPIRACY?
Prior to the commission’s visit to Imrali, SDG leader Malzum Abdi also expressed his desire to meet with Öcalan. While all roads led to Imrali, Bahçeli made the following statement in Parliament on the morning of the visit: “The chains of domination are being broken. The 1.5-century-old imperialist conspiracy, built on making Turks and Kurds enemies, is being destroyed, and that is why they are playing their last cards with their numb consciences. A Turkey free of terrorism is the uncompromising decision of the Turkish nation and state. The most serious interlocutor is Imrali.‘
The ’imperialist conspiracy” rhetoric of the regime, which has carved out space for itself both domestically and internationally by integrating with US Middle East policies, lacks consistency even within itself. The actors involved in destabilising Syria, in the US settling in Syria with no intention of leaving, and in Israel creating spheres of influence for itself in this country are, in essence, mere pawns in imperialist games, far from disrupting the game.
Following Colani’s appointment, the US and Israel are now trying to shape Syria in the second phase. In the multi-actor Syrian arena, where the US and Israel have embarked on de facto occupation, and the UK, France and Gulf countries have created spheres of influence, alongside fundamentalist structures, the SDF and the Druze, the Kurds are in a critical position.
SEEKING A ROLE THROUGH ÖCALAN
The Palace regime is seeking to gain a foothold in Syria through Öcalan. Plans to integrate the SDF into Damascus are a reflection of this quest. However, there are many issues that remain unresolved despite the US. Mazlum Abdi stated that he wanted to visit Imrali to meet with Öcalan, saying that this would contribute to resolving the disputes in Syria. Although Abdi said that the process in Turkey directly affects Syria, the intertwined problems show that the process in Syria affects the one in Turkey much more.
SMOOTHED OVER AT THE WHITE HOUSE
While US imperialism is trying to integrate Colani into the world and the SDF into Syria, it is trying to satisfy all actors, the Kurds, Turkey, Israel and Damascus at a minimum level. The advice given to Colani and Hakan Fidan, who were received at the White House in recent days, was also in the direction of reconciliation with the SDF. SDG Leader Abdi recounts this meeting as follows: ‘Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also attended part of the meeting held on 10 November. Turkey voiced some complaints. However, as far as we understand, they were not too harsh this time.’
It seems that things will not settle down in Syria and the Middle East for a long time. While American imperialism’s designs continue, the delegation’s meeting with Öcalan, Abdi’s Imrali statement, Colani’s reception at the White House, and Netanyahu’s poses in southern Syria are all interconnected. Neither peace nor democracy are on the agenda of the Palace regime, which is in business with American imperialism.
In fact, everyone knows what is going on and is aware of it!
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled İmralı’dan Şam’a: Masadaki Suriye, published in BirGün newspaper on November 26, 2025.
