ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Germany is working to support stability in Syria, Chancellor Friedrich Merz told Rudaw, reiterating Berlin’s call for dialogue and the importance of an inclusive political process. This while other German officials are urging humanitarian access to northeast Syria (Rojava) amid the fragile ceasefire that followed the latest military escalation by Damascus and its affiliated forces.
“Our goal is not only to offer cooperation and support but also to demonstrate it in tangible ways. This applies to Syria as well,” Merz told Rudaw in a press conference on Wednesday.
He also expressed hope that the visit of Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Germany, “which was canceled the week before last, will take place soon, as we wish to discuss these matters with him in detail.”
The German Chancellor emphasized that his country’s engagement in Syria “is very limited,” adding that Berlin is working “so that, in the long term, peace and stability can be restored” in the country.
Merz’s remarks come against the backdrop of the large-scale offensive launched in mid-January by the Syrian Arab Army and aligned armed groups to seize territory held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern and northeastern Syria (Rojava).
The SDF serve as the de facto military force in Rojava and are a key ally of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS).
Damascus forces and affiliated militants have advanced into areas previously held by the SDF in Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and near the Kurdish-majority province of Hasaka in eastern Rojava, displacing an estimated 100,000 people - primarily Kurds, according to UN figures.
The areas seized by Damascus and its affiliated forces are among those the Kurdish-led forces liberated from ISIS following the group’s declaration of its so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq in 2014.
German lawmakers echoed the chancellor’s remarks, highlighting the situation in Rojava and the role of the Kurds as long-standing “allies of the West.”
Christoph de Vries, a member of the German parliament (Bundestag), said he discussed the issue with Berlin’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul “the situation in northeast Syria [Rojava], specifically regarding the situation of the Kurds, who have long been reliable allies of the West, particularly in the war against ISIS.”
De Vries said he was “very pleased” with the joint statement released by France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which urged “a permanent ceasefire” in the Kurdish-majority areas and called on “all parties to avoid any kind of escalation.”
The German lawmaker further urged that a humanitarian corridor be established to the Kurdish city of Kobane in northwest Syria, which the Kurdish-led administration in Rojava has reported has been under siege by Syrian forces for days.
Of note, Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, told Rudaw on Wednesday that “the situation in Kobane is very concerning,” citing reports from residents of “serious shortages of humanitarian aid, water, and food,” as well as ongoing electricity cuts that have persisted “for several days.”
Meanwhile, Jurgen Hardt, another Bundestag member, said there is a broad political consensus in Germany regarding expectations from Damascus, stressing that “there must be an inclusive process in Syria where all social groups - including the Kurds, of course - attain their cultural and political rights,” he said.
Hardt further argued that “Syria will only have a future if it adopts a federal structure, but remains united,” he said, adding that cooperation between Damascus and Kurdish forces will be key to long-term stability, provided the Kurds see “an opportunity to integrate their armed forces with the organized state forces without the risk of being ignored or oppressed.”
Drawing comparisons to the Kurdistan Region’s model in Iraq, Hardt said that decentralized governance “has worked well in Iraq because, for example, the Kurds in the north have been successful economically and politically,” he said. “It should be the same for Syria,” he stressed.
For his part, Adis Ahmetovic, a Bundestag member from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), criticized the shy response of European countries to the situation in Rojava.
“There was a great deal of silence regarding the expression of solidarity with the Kurds in Syria,” he said, describing conditions in the Kurdish-led enclave as dire. “If you look at the situation on the ground, you can - and must - speak of a humanitarian catastrophe.”
Ahmetovic emphasized that Germany must act alongside its closest allies. “Germany must provide humanitarian aid - not only that, but specifically in coordination with its closest partners, such as the United Kingdom, France, and the United States,” he said, adding that Syria’s interim authorities bear “a very heavy responsibility to ensure that all minorities are protected.”
While voicing skepticism toward Syria’s transitional leadership, Ahmetovic said diplomatic engagement remains necessary. “Despite that, we must use all diplomatic channels-Germany, Europe, and the international community-to put pressure on the Syrian government and also their neighbors who are ‘fanning the flames’ to improve the situation of the Kurds,” he said, warning that abandoning Kurdish partners could allow ISIS to regain influence.
While expressing skepticism toward Syria’s transitional leadership, Ahmetovic said that “we must use all diplomatic channels - Germany, Europe, and the international community - to put pressure on the Syrian government and also on their neighbors who are ‘fanning the flames,’ in order to improve the situation of the Kurds.”
Syria’s Defense Ministry on Saturday announced a 15-day extension of the ceasefire brokered by the US four days earlier, aimed at halting Damascus’s offensive against Kurdish-led forces.
In a statement to Rudaw, Germany’s foreign ministry told Rudaw that Berlin welcomes the extension of the ceasefire and urged Damascus and Rojava to use the pause to advance negotiations.
“The situation in the Kurdish and Kurdish-controlled areas remains tense,” the statement added, calling on all parties to protect civilians “whether Arab or Kurdish.”
The ministry also confirmed that humanitarian deliveries have begun to Kurdish areas, noting that “over the weekend, a convoy of 24 trucks carrying medical and humanitarian aid reached the city of Kobane.”
Alla Shally contributed to this article from Berlin, Germany.
