At the end of October, Khaled Davrich, the representative of the Autonomous Administration in Germany, told the German newspaper Junge Welt that the Administration is calling on Germany to cooperate with it.
The Administration believes that significant progress can be made by “strengthening our democracy, promoting women’s rights, and taking measures to combat extremism, particularly political Islam.” Based on this, the possibility of facilitating refugees’ dignified and safe return to Syria could be discussed.
Davrich also emphasized that one of the Autonomous Administration’s key goals is to ensure the return of all those who wish to go back to their homeland.
He further noted that, as of now, theAutonomous Administration has not had any discussions with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, according to the German newspaper.
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Samer al-Ahmad, a researcher at the Omran Center for Strategic Studies, believes that the Autonomous Administration’s efforts are part of a broader strategy to promote itself internationally and expand its network of alliances. This comes at a time when there are concerns about the outcome of the upcoming U.S. elections and potential changes in policies towards the region.
Ahmad told Enab Baladi that, as a de facto authority lacking formal legitimacy, the “administration” is attempting to leap forward in order to avoid addressing its internal challenges with the various components of the Syrian regions under its control.
He added that these efforts to strengthen foreign relations are still “lame,” given the inherent issues facing the Administration itself.
The researcher further argued that the Autonomous Administration continues to lack governance legitimacy, especially considering its record of human rights violations, which weakens its ability to secure international recognition and legitimacy.
The search for legitimacy
In 2017, the Russian news agency Interfax reported that the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the backbone of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), expressed interest in participating in the “National Dialogue” conference in Sochi, Russia, alongside other Syrian factions.
Following this, Russia extended an invitation to the YPG to attend the conference. However, Turkey strongly opposed this move, as stated by Ibrahim Kalin, then spokesperson for the Turkish presidency.
Turkey considers the Autonomous Administration and its military arm, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to be extensions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the European Union.
Since that time, the Autonomous Administration has been effectively sidelined by Turkey’s veto, which has prevented it from establishing diplomatic relations with international actors, including its primary backer, the United States.
Researcher Ahmad argues that some countries involved in the Syrian conflict actively reject the idea of the Autonomous Administration being part of any international alliances or political processes. He notes that efforts by the administration to break this isolation are consistently thwarted by strong Turkish opposition, which remains a significant barrier to its international outreach. Ahmad also points out that any move to strengthen external relations is fraught with risk, as Ankara will likely pressure any country considering cooperation with the Autonomous Administration.
As a result, the researcher downplays the potential impact of such diplomatic efforts, emphasizing that Turkey’s influence remains a powerful deterrent to any significant international engagement with the self-administration.
Promotion in Germany
Since her arrival in Germany, Ilham Ahmed, the foreign relations officer for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), has been actively promoting the administration’s vision and projects. However, her background as a prominent member of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)—which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and several European countries, including Germany—has raised concerns.
On October 20, Ahmed stated that the Autonomous Administration was “indefinitely” ready to negotiate the return of Syrian refugees residing in Germany to their homeland. She emphasized that over the past decade, the administration had managed to build an education system, hospitals, and an entire administrative apparatus “from almost scratch.” However, she also acknowledged that the educational system still faced many unresolved challenges.
As part of her efforts to promote the administration’s achievements, Ehmed highlighted the region’s cultural diversity, describing it as “a melting pot of different ethnicities.” She pointed out that the region has three official languages—Arabic, Kurdish, and Assyrian—in addition to English and French as foreign languages.
However, tensions remain in the region, particularly among the Arab population, especially in Deir-ez-Zor governorate. There, feelings of marginalization have led to protests and clashes with the Autonomous Administration, which escalated into armed confrontations. The repercussions of these conflicts continue to affect the region today.
In terms of refugee return, Ehmed suggested that the Autonomous Administration could eventually accommodate a larger influx, but only after addressing critical infrastructure needs, improving the economy, and contributing to reconstruction efforts. She proposed a phased approach, starting with small groups, before scaling up to larger returns once the region is better prepared. According to her, this could be achieved within a year. At present, the Autonomous Administration is already hosting about 20,000 Syrians who fled Lebanon.
The SDF, the military wing of the Autonomous Administration, controls northeastern Syria and enjoys U.S. support, though it maintains tense relations with neighboring countries, particularly Turkey.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
