A delegation of Workers’ Party (Turkey) conducted a visit to Syria. The delegation headed by Mr. Naci Beştepe (Deputy Chairman of the Workers’ Party (Turkey) and retired Major-General) consisted of Mr.Yunus Soner (Chairman of the International Relations Bureau), Ms. Zeynep Küçük (Deputy Chairman) and Mr. Abdulkadir Yıldız (Opinion Leader in Mardin, Turkey and member of the Workers’ Party (Turkey)). The delegation participated in the conference titled “International Terror and Fundamentalism” which was held between the 30th of Nov and the 1st of Dec 2014 in Damascus.
First speech is from the Workers’ Party
The conference began with the opening speeches of the Minister of Foundations, the Minister for Justice and the Prime Minister of Syria. After that the first speaker on behalf of Turkey was Mr.Yunus Soner.
In his speech, Mr. Soner remarked that in the Middle East, different named terror organizations are being active. According to Mr.Soner, the common traits of all the terror organizations is that they all target the national states of the region and their central governments. Because of the fact that they target the capital cities and national unities, sectarian and ethnic terror organizations have to collaborate with imperialism. According to Mr.Soner; a solution to the terror problem in the region is only possible with the cooperation of the countries in the region and their rejection of all kinds of interference.
During the conference, Deputy Chairman Naci Beştepe held a speech as well and The Workers’ Party (Turkey) participated in writing the final declaration.
The Workers’ Party (Turkey) delegation was welcomed by Mr. Bessam Bereket (Head of coordination committee) in Damascus. Mr. Bereket had a meeting with Mr.Beştepe and he stated that he is very glad that the representatives from Turkey participated in the conference. Mr. Bereket, who in the past took ministerial duties in the Syrian Government, said that the comradeship between people of Syria and Turkey will bring down the tension.
In the conference, where the regional terror problems were discussed, Mr.Yunus Soner’s speech titled “The Solution to the Terror Problem: to defend and unite our National States” drew attention. 25 countries sent representatives to the conference; from Belgium to Lebanon many parliamentarians participated. Speeches of some of the US senators and congress members sparked a debate in the conference.
Great interest of Media
The Workers’ Party (Turkey) delegation gave also interviews to the state TV channel Syria TV and to the private TV channel Sama TV. The members of the delegation also participated as guests in TV shows of both channels.
After their return to Turkey The Workers’ Party (Turkey) delegation made a statement to the press. In the statement following opinions were defended;
The US has been defeated in Syria
It was the first time for a long period that a US delegation attended a conference in Syria. The delegation consisted of former members of the Congress and retired intelligence officers. The duty of the delegation was to provide the basis for a reconciliation between the US and Syria. Some members of the delegation openly proposed on TV programs to establish a Syrian lobby in the USA.
The US complained to Syria about Turkey
In the conference, the US representatives focussed their efforts on complaining about Turkey. Even in the short speeches before the final declaration, they held Turkey responsible for the terror and tried to get their country into the position of an arbitrator.
The US is in preparation to reopen the Syrian embassy
In this context, the reopening of the US embassy in Syria has been brought to the agenda. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria, Mr.Velid Muallim, said that the embassy could only be reopened when the conditions of Syria have been acknowledged.
Syria does not trust the US
Syria is aware of the goal of the US to divide their country. The pressure on the Syrian government via the terror organizations is definitely rejected. In the conference, the speeches of the US delegation declaring Turkey as the main enemy has caused a great reaction.
The Workers’ Party (Turkey) delegation has pleaded that the terror problem in the entire region can only be solved with the cooperation of regional countries and by preventing foreign intervention. The suggestion of the Workers’ Party for cooperation on the basis of territorial integrity and national unity has received great support.
‘Obama would not say “the Syrian Nation” ’
The Workers’ Party (Turkey) delegation, emphasized in their speeches that the US is the sectarian and separatist power and said that it is impossible to hear the notion ‘Syrian Nation’ from Obama. The Syrian press used this statement in their headlines.
The Workers’ Party delegation stated in the conference as well as to the press that the Turkish Armed Forces will not be part of an operation against Syria.