It is the strong man of the Kurdistan of syria. At the head of the executive committee responsible for the administration of Rojava, the autonomous region bordering Turkey, Aldar Khalil is all the negotiations. He discusses with Paris and Washington for the coordination of the offensives against the group islamic State in a coalition of 30 000 men. And also participates in the negotiations with Damascus in order to consolidate the status of the Kurds within Syria. Among its priorities : to put the hand on the enclave of the kurdish of Afrine conquered in march by the Turkish army and thus allow for the return of 200,000 displaced persons.
The Point : You fight the last pocket of Daech to Hadjine, near the iraqi border, with the assistance of the coalition. The end of this battle will mark the disappearance of the organization ?
Aldar Khalil : as long as Daech keeps Hadjine, the world is in danger. But it is in the process of breaking their last forces. That said, let us have no illusions. Jihadists will continue to operate. It will be small groups, sometimes allied with others who will lead the offensive wherever they can. We will also have to cope with many dormant cells.
Maintain your presence in this region is sunni, which is located outside of Kurdistan ?
When this territory will be liberated, three choices are offered to the local population : the back in the lap of Damascus, but I don’t think so, because the regime is hated ; islamist radicalisation, and we can trust our neighbours the turks to send their representatives and push them in that direction ; or in a democratic system such as the one that we implement in our home. After the hostilities, we dépêcherons for two or three months of the negotiators of experience who will discuss with the local population to the possibility of establishing a form of democracy. We will ask them also if they want to that we can see to their defence. We will do everything to win their trust and confidence. Already, some tell us : “We did not think you were like that. “But, if they want to see us leave, this is not a problem, we will leave.
How the negotiations with Damascus on the fate of Kurdistan in syria is conducted ?
The discussions with Damascus on our future status are frozen. We went there with a thick folder containing our proposals on how we wish to administer. A representative of Bachar el-Assad heard us, but, at this stage, we have not received any response. And I think that it will not move as long as the syrian regime will not have recovered the canton of Idleb currently in the hands of the jihadists controlled by Turkey.
how the battle is shaping up to Idleb, north of Syria, will it be decisive for you ?
All that weakens Turkey is good for us. If the battle is waged, it will be violent. The Turks will fight hard to support extremist militia present there. And it will result in a deterioration of relations between Moscow and Ankara. Yet, this is where we have a card to play : one may hope to regain our district Afrine that the Turkish army has invaded at the beginning of the year.
How ?
negotiating with Russia for the establishment of a ” no fly zone “. Moscow could decide to ban the overflight of Afrine by the Turkish aviation. This would be a great opportunity. If this is the case, our men can then retrieve Afrine in a week. Come on, a month if you take into account a few contingencies. We are carrying out there all the days of guerrilla warfare, but the aircraft turks do not allow us to conduct an offensive of this scale.
do you Fear a withdrawal of the United States of Syria after the end of Daech ?
No, they will not go away. We have confirmed this, because they do not intend to let the Russians and the Iranians occupy the ground. Damascus and Moscow have come to believe that Washington wants to pack up and leave as quickly as possible, but they are mistaken. And then the presence of the Americans is our life insurance.
What is it the French ?
The French authorities have assured us that we would never fall. It means everything, right ?