Communists in the countries neighboring Syria are demanding that the people of that war-torn country have the right to determine their own future in the post-Assad era, free of interference or invasion by outside powers.
From Iraq to Turkey to Israel, Communist Parties are condemning moves by Israel, the U.S., and Turkey to take advantage of the instability in Syria to seize land and/or carry out bombings and other attacks.
Iraq
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Iraqi Communist Party said that although the repressive Ba’athist state has fallen, “Syria is not yet safe, especially with the presence of extremist and terrorist forces, the ambitions and interests of neighbouring countries and Israel’s aggressive and expansionist plans which it has revealed by occupying the buffer zone and launching raids on sites inside Syria.”
The Communists of Iraq demanded “respect for the right of the Syrian people to determine their affairs and make free choices.” They emphasized the importance of all Syrian political parties and forces working to spare the country further chaos and bloody conflicts, achieve security and stability, secure the return of the displaced and establish the foundations of a democratic, pluralistic system of government.”
The ICP said that all countries and forces must respect Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.” The party specifically called on the the world to compel Israel “to respect the 1974 ceasefire agreement and stop its repeated attacks on Syria and its cities.”
Turkey
The Turkish Communist Party accused its own government, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of serving as “mediator” for the “jihadist movements working in cooperation with Israel to demember Syria.”
The Turkish military has staged several incursions into Syrian territory to carry out attacks on Kurds and maintains forces in the country’s north.
The Turkish Communists warned of a “the beginning of an era of barbarity in a country that has suffered massacres, whose territories have been occupied, whose resources have been plundered, and whose conflicts are incessant.”
The party expressed worry that peace and stability will elude the Syrian people, saying the fall of the Assad dictatorship may bring “deeper chaos.” It said that what is happening now in Syria is the “result of sectarianism, religious fanaticism, nationalism, and dependence on foreign powers.”
Israel is the main winner in the new situation, according to the party, but it emphasized that “Israel’s victory is the victory of American imperialism.” It also urged the Turkish people to resist the calls by some in Erdoğan’s circles who “advocate the res-establishment of the Ottoman Empire” and “dream of conquests and expansion” in Syria in order to cover up “exploitation and injustice” at home.
Israel
The Communist Party of Israel and the Hadash electoral coalition (Democratic Front for Peace and Equality) issued a joint statement in response to Israel’s invasion of Syria. Published by Zo Haderekh, the organizations’ analysis said Netanyahu’s conduct “points to the long-term ambitions of Israel and its regional and global allies, starting with the Turkish regime, Arab reactionary states, and ending with the United States.”
The CPI and Hadash emphasized that the U.S. has “for decades embraced and even financed fundamentalist terrorist gangs that are engaged in destabilizing the region.”
Israel’s Communists said that there is now “a real danger that the U.S. will play a central role in running the Syrian state after the fall of Assad.”
They expressed hope that the Syrian people, who are understandably rejoicing at the downfall of their repressive government, will succeed in rejecting U.S. control and “preserve their own interests…and…fulfill the aspirations of Syrians for freedom and a life of dignity” in a civil and democratic state that guarantees social, cultural, and religious pluralism.
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