Following the meeting between Mazloum Abdi, General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and Ahmed al-Shara, who was announced as the head of state of the Syrian transitional government, on the evening of 10 March, an 8-point consensus text was signed. Three days after the signing, a delegation consisting of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) Director İbrahim Kalın travelled to Damascus on 13 March to meet with Ahmed al-Shara. Immediately after this meeting, the Damascus government signed the "transitional constitutional draft" on the same day.

 

This draft was protested by many groups, especially by the people of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. The Syrian Revolutionary Youth Movement organised marches in Raqqa, Tabqa and Deir ez-Zor with the participation of hundreds of young people to protest the draft constitution presented by the Damascus government. The Joint Action Platform of Women's Movements and Organisations of North and East Syria also reacted against the draft. The platform decided to organise a workshop for the attitude of women against the massacres and the constitutional declaration, as one of the items in their 8-point programme against the massacres in the coastal regions.

 

 

Reacting to the draft, Syrian Unity Party (PYD) Dirbesiye city co-chair Diyana Abdullah stated that there is nothing acceptable about the fact that the draft does not even include the name of women and said, "Our women friends were martyred for the autonomous administration created after the Rojava Revolution. Women have laboured everywhere here. We also embrace them by taking to the fields." 

 

Stating that it is essential to include women and other structures of the society in the new system to be formed in the new administration, Diyana Abdullah said, "When we look at their approach today, they are trying to keep all segments of society out. But in Syria, even the blood of children has been shed. Today, a system cannot be built without including different segments, women and beliefs."

 

'WE STARTED WITH THE WOMEN'S REVOLUTION'

 

 

Nesrin Eli, Co-Chair of the Martyrs' Families Assembly of Dirbesiye city, stated that they took part in the protests against the draft constitution and that they will continue to raise their voices and that the peoples of the autonomous administration have demonstrated their will in many fields, especially diplomacy and military, since the revolution.

 

"We started the revolution in the territory of the autonomous administration by saying that it is the 'Women's Revolution'" Nesrin Eli said and added, "The peoples of the autonomous administration struggled against those who murdered people monstrously under very terrible conditions in the past. Women suffered these massacres the most. This enemy first massacred women and children when there was no power against them. We have broken those mass murderers and the massacre attempts of the Turkish state. We do not accept this constitution either. As women, we are also faithful. We will take part in the newly formed government with our will and faith. No power will break our will. I also call on the women living in the coastal regions, just as the women in the autonomous administration broke the massacres with their will, so can you. Form your defence."

 

MA / Ceylan Şahinli