German delegation visits north Syria, vows support for Kurdish self-rule

QAMISHLO (Kurdistan 24) – Officials from Germany's Left Party visited the Kurdish-led authority in northern Syria (Rojava) on Monday, pledging support, Syrian Kurdish news agencies reported.

The Syria-based Kurdish Hawar News Agency (ANHA) said the German delegation of 11 members included Left Party (Die Linke) parliamentarians, academics, human rights spokesperson Zaklin Nastic, and member of the party's executive committee Jan van Aken.

"There [in Rojava], people of all religions and backgrounds can live democratically and govern themselves. They need the support of the international community against the attacks of Turkey that are in violation of international law," said van Aken in a statement released to the press.

According to the statement, the group, which arrived in Syria on Sunday and will remain until June 4, will be conducting visits to Qamishlo, Kobane, Hasakah, and Manbij.

Among the delegation's plans are to conduct talks with local Kurdish authorities about a possible peace plan in Syria, recent attacks by the Assad regime including the use of chemical weapons, the fate of imprisoned German Islamic State (IS) fighters, and German weaponry being used in the region.

They will also assess the current general situation in Rojava and northern Syria, the statement added.

The delegation members expressed their support for the Kurdish self-administration in north Syria and rejected their country’s support for Turkish authorities in their operation against Afrin, the Syrian Kurdish-affiliated Firat News Agency (ANF) reported.

The delegation's members stressed that they would work to thwart the German-Turkish policy on Afrin, explaining that the reason for their visit to Rojava was to learn details of the self-administration and communicate them to others in Germany, according to the ANF news agency.

Nearly two months ago, British Labour officials visited Rojava and pledged to stand with it against the threat of future attacks.

Syrian Kurds have carved out self-governing autonomous regions since early on in Syria's seven-year civil war and control around 25 percent of the country.

Kurdish forces (YPG and SDF) and their political allies now hold the largest part of Syria outside the grip of Assad’s government. They have captured vast territories from IS with the support of US arms, jets and ground advisers.

Editing by John J. Catherine