It looks like Mohammed al-Bashir, who has ruled the jihadist rebels’ Islamist regime in northwestern Syria, will be tasked with leading a transitional government in Syria, international media reports citing Syrian media.
What that would mean in practice is unclear.
Ilham Ahmad, the foreign minister of the Kurdish administration in Syria, hopes that the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the offensive of the rebel groups, will open up to talks.
– The new rulers have talked about dialogue and peace, but we don’t know what that will lead to, says Ilham Ahmad during a visit to Sweden on Monday.
– Our hope is that all people in Syria will cooperate with each other. We want to be part of creating a multi-ethnic, feminist, equal and democratic Syria, she says.
Drone attacks from Turkey
Among Kurds, however, there is concern that jihadist attacks may increase.
Already in connection with the capture of the large city of Aleppo last week, many Kurdish residents were reported to be fleeing east towards Kurdish-controlled parts of Syria.
In recent days, Syrian rebels have, among other things, attacked Kurdish militia in the city of Manbij, which is controlled by the Kurdish-led SDF.
On Monday, eleven civilians were also killed in a Turkish drone attack on a village in northern Syria under Kurdish control, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
– We call on the international community to put pressure on Turkey so that it immediately stops its attacks on Kurdish areas, says Ilham Ahmad.
During the long war in Syria, Turkey has been behind the Syrian rebel groups that have been involved in ruling the Idlib province.
So far this year, the country itself has carried out up to 200 attacks against the Kurdish-ruled part of Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) compilation.
Want to see federal state
Ilham Ahmad points out that it is not only Kurds who feel worried about the future, but all of Syria’s minorities and women.
– The new rulers must rehearse all faiths, languages and cultures, she says.
– We want Syria to become a federal state where there will be states or provinces that have their own government. It is important that power is decentralized and that everyone in Syria feels involved in the country.