STRASBOURG, France - European Parliament Member Abir al-Sahlani called on the EU to take stronger measures to protect Kurds in northeast Syria (Rojava), warning that humanitarian suffering continues under the ongoing siege of Kurdish-majority areas.
“We are giving Syria a lot of money and I think that the EU must demand a ceasefire in Kobane and Rojava… but also to demand the de facto lifting of the siege that they have on the area causing tremendous humanitarian suffering,” Sahlani told Rudaw on Friday.
She stressed that European institutions must turn statements into action, urging the European External Action Service to enforce humanitarian guarantees.
Sahlani defended recent parliamentary resolutions on Rojava as influential tools. “We are the only institution where you have directly elected representatives… I do believe this could be very helpful,” she said, emphasizing the EU’s leverage through financial aid and diplomatic pressure.
She also warned against underestimating the ideological threat of returning the Islamic State (ISIS) fighters. “The danger of Daesh [ISIS] is real… It is a political failure of the EU to allow this fundamentalist to grow in the EU,” Sahlani said, highlighting the importance of inclusive societies both in Europe and the Middle East.
Sahlani also noted that her advocacy for the Kurdish cause is a personal fight. “I am married to a Kurdish husband… and my children are half-Kurdish. Before, it was for me an ideological fight… but now, it is a personal fight,” she said, framing her work as a defense of Kurdish rights and self-determination.
The following is a full transcript of the interview with Abir al-Sahlani:
Rudaw: Let's start with a very symbolic gesture of you this week in this building in parliament while you were debating. You wore Kurdish traditional clothing, and you did that among people who are wearing suits and there are diplomatic protocols in this building. What was your message? Why you thought it is important to wear Kurdish clothing for that day?
Abir al-Sahlani, European Parliament Member: Thank you for having me, first of all. But for me, it is much more important to support the Kurdish cause and the people of Kurdistan, much more important than following the protocols. Because of the debate did not mention at all the Kurds or the Kurdistan region at all. For me, it was important to point to the most important matter, which is the Kurds.
We also heard that you said the Kurds are always saying "our only friends are mountains," but you have us here. What does that mean in concrete actions?
For me, I think it is very important to remind the house (European Parliament) what the Kurds have been saying, what they have done, and the history of their struggle for freedom and independence. Because not everyone is aware. And to remind this house of democracy about that, the sacrifices that the Kurdish people have given for many, many decades, it's nothing new. And also to push the European Commission to take concrete actions.
We all were a little bit relieved when [Syrian interim President Ahmed] al-Sharaa came to power in Syria and we thought that okay, now when Bashar al-Assad is not there, then we might have peace. But unfortunately, that was driven by European interest, not by the interest of the people there. Because everyone understands that having a former Islamist combatant, it's not a good guarantee for democratic, inclusive societies. So if you don't have it in you as an ideology, then you won't also be able to build it. So it is important to remind the European institutions and above all the external action service that statements is actually being neutral.
You need actions, concrete actions. And now we are giving Syria a lot of money and I think that the EU must demand a ceasefire in Kobane and Rojava on one hand, but also to demand the de facto lifting of the siege that they have on the area causing tremendous humanitarian suffering.
You already voted on a resolution about Northeast Syria, and do you think such a resolution has teeth to prevent, for example, a massacre against Kurds in Syria?
I think it could be helpful.
It could be helpful.
It could be helpful because we are the only institution where you have directly elected by our citizens representatives. The commission is appointed, the council is appointed, but we are the ones that are directly elected. And the external action service, they listen a lot to the parliament and what kind of messages we are sending. So I do believe this could be very helpful.
It could be very helpful. What are the tools which the European Union has to pressure the Damascus government?
Well, we have our embassies there, we have our also representation as European Union. Above all, what we have is the money that we are paying to the government now. This is the, I mean, this is our leverage. But I think that also cooperating with like-minded countries in the UN can also exercise pressure on the government in Syria.
Which conditions and which guarantees should the Syrian government give Europe to send them the money?
Well, I mean, a ceasefire to guarantee that there are no military attacks against these areas against the Kurdish component.