VANGUARD - Expressing the viewpoint of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
For National Independence and Socialism • www.cpaml.org
The Western world endorsed the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria, and has quickly rebranded the Islamo-fascist HTS as the legitimate government of Syria. In return, the HTS accepts the expansion into parts of Syria by both the Israeli Zionists and the Turkish fascist regime. In the latter case, Turkey is permitted to bomb and destroy the liberated autonomous zone of Rojava, where Communists have created a secular, democratic and anti-patriarchal example for the whole of the Middle East. We support the defence and survival of the Rojava revolution and print the following statement from the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party/ Turkey and Kurdistan (MLKP) in support – eds.
The construction of a new Syria
Looking at Syria today, it quickly becomes clear that the political map is increasingly developing in line with imperialist plans toward centralization under a new political-Islamic regime. However, the biggest obstacle to this “new Golani Syria” remains the question of Rojava‘s integration. At the centre of this development are the negotiations and agreements between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the political-Islamist regime of Hay‘at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
This process, which initially stalled after talks broke down abruptly on March 10, 2025, was revived on July 9, 2025, at a meeting in Damascus.
In addition to representatives of the SDF, such as Commander Mazlum Abdî, representatives of the Assad regime and Western diplomats also took part, including the US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, and the French envoy Jean-Baptiste Faivre.
The central point of contention in these talks is the question of Rojava‘s integration into the Syrian state. The focus is on three main aspects: military, political, and economic integration. The autonomously administered northern and eastern Syria (Rojava) wants to ensure that it retains its political and social achievements and is not subjected to a centralized system. Without a doubt, any agreement with HTS will only be temporary, as stability for Syria under HTS is not in sight.
The US vision for Syria: one nation, one army, one government
Despite the ongoing negotiations, a decisive moment in the disclosure of the US‘s imperialist plans for Syria became clear. Tom Barrack, the US special envoy for Syria, outlined the US vision of a centralized Syria under the sole leadership of its new political-Islamic partner, HTS. This is underscored by the slogan “One Nation, One Army, One Government.” HTS has done its “homework” in this context: the domestic market has been opened up to Western investment, oil contracts have been signed with the US, and Israel has been granted the undisturbed right to annex Syrian territories. In return, HTS, along with all its political-Islamic fascist members, will be recognized by Western states, removed from terror lists, and integrated into the international system. The same imperialist West that condemned the repressions of the Assad regime now seems ready to accept the next dictatorship.
Such an Islamist-fascist regime stands in sharp contrast to the democratic popular revolution in northern and eastern Syria, where not only the equality of peoples but above all the equality of the sexes is practiced. This fundamental contradiction shapes the extent and intensity of the power struggles and negotiations in Syria and will determine the fate of Syria in the future.
The threat from the fascist Turkish colonial state
Amid these geopolitical upheavals, the fascist Turkish state remains at a key position. Through recent agreements with Hay‘at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), it has further expanded its influence in Syria. By regaining the right to conduct military operations up to a depth of 30 kilometres, Ankara has not only consolidated its military presence but also further secured its colonial ambitions in Syria. This agreement, which supplemented the “Ankara Agreement” with the Assad regime, clearly shows that the chief regime under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan does not intend to withdraw from the occupied territories in Syria. Rather, it seeks to occupy new territories and impose its political goals in the region.
The fascist regime is pursuing an evident strategy to destroy regional self-government in Rojava. Mazlum Abdî, commander of the SDF, stated that the Turkish colonial state is attempting to undermine the existing model of integration bet ween the SDF and HTS in order to weaken and ultimately dissolve the autonomous administration. Particularly striking is the pressure it is exerting on HTS to enforce its own political goals. For example, the Turkish colonial state is using various affiliated groups within HTS to influence negotiations and developments in Syria.
In addition, as in the past, it has mobilized Arab tribes in the region to force a shift in the regional balance of power and drive the SDF out of areas such as Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Hasaka as part of its geopolitical strategy to strengthen control over southern areas and eliminate the Kurdish self-administration.
The threat to the peoples and the Rojava revolution
These geopolitical upheavals pose an immense danger, especially to the peoples of Syria, such as Kurds, Druze, and Alawites. These groups, which were already oppressed under the Assad regime or were among the poorest segments of the population, now face the threat of falling under the rule of a new dictatorship. A dictatorship that does not recognize any national, religious, or political rights. HTS has already demonstrated its hostile attitude toward various population groups in the past, for example through pogroms against Alawites and attacks on Druze.
The next decisive target region in this geopolitical chess game is un mistakably Rojava. Tom Barrack has made it clear that HTS aims to bring the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Sy ria under its control. The US seeks to transfer sole control of Syria to HTS, subjecting the country‘s various peoples to US imperialist interests. These developments pose an existential threat to the Rojava Revolution.
The revolution is the hope of the peoples and the oppressed.
Under these conditions, the statements of leaders of the revolution such as Sipan Hemo and Salih Muslim are crucial, emphasizing that the creation of an autonomous political system based on the self-de termination of the regions remains essential. Particularly important in this context is the insistence on the role of women and the achievements of the women‘s movement in Rojava. There have already been fierce clashes with HTS, in which the women clearly stated that “the YPJ is not up for debate.”
The revolutionary democratic principles that have been fought for in Rojava offer a glimmer of hope for the peoples of Syria that, even beyond dictatorships, there can be a democratic people‘s republic that guarantees a dignified and self-determined life. If this revolution is to continue and expand, it is necessary for all progressive forces, both in Syria and worldwide, to stand resolutely for the defence and construction of the Rojava Revolution. A destruction of this autonomy by HTS, supported by Western imperialist powers and the Turkish colonial state, would not only undermine the achievements of the revolution, but also jeopardize the rights and future of the Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian, and Armenian peoples, alongside with all the op pressed, workers, and women in Syria.
The struggle for a democratic Syria and the self-determination of its peoples is entering a new phase in light of the new transitional situation.
Hay‘at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is led by al-Golani, a former IS and Al-Qaeda recruit
Marxist-Leninist Communist Party/ Turkey and Kurdistan (MLKP)
October 2025