Talks on Syria's new constitution 'will exclude armed groups'

Organisers say militias will not be welcome, amid talks with the Kurdish-led SDF on disarmament

A Syrian Democratic Forces fighter walks past women and children queuing at the Al Hol camp, where families linked to ISIS are detained, in Syria's north-eastern Hasakah province. AFP

Armed groups refusing to submit to the will of Syria's new government will be excluded from a national conference to discuss the country's new constitution, organisers have said, amid talks on disarmament with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Hassan Al Dughaim, a spokesman for the conference organising committee, said the SDF “do not represent our people”, during a news conference in Damascus. “We are talking about a national dialogue. Whoever does not lay down his arms … will have no role,” news agency Reuters reported him as saying.

The SDF controls large parts northern and eastern Syria. The new central administration in Damascus wants the US-backed group to be dissolved into the national armed forces.

The Kurdish-led group has proposed it be included in the army as a single military bloc, but that idea has so far been rejected by the new government, led by former rebels Hayat Tahrir Al Sham.

HTS played a major role in the lightning offensive that overthrew former president Bashar Al Assad in early December, ending more than five decades of Assad family rule. Most of Syria's other former insurgent factions have agreed to dissolve and join the army or security services.

The seven-member organising committee was launched on Thursday to prepare for the national conference, which interim President Ahmad Al Shara has said will produce a statement forming the basis of a constitutional declaration.

“The conference aims to discuss social, political, economic and governance issues, laying solid foundations for a future based on national consensus, justice, reform and comprehensive representation,” said Huda Atasi, another member of the committee, according to official Syrian news agency Sana. “This will be the first real gathering of Syrians in 75 years.”

Mr Al Shara has promised to protect the rights of women and religious minorities. AFP

Mr Al Dughaim, a researcher in Islamic affairs, is joined on the organising committee by Mohammed Mastet, a former official in an HTS-affiliated regional government that previously controlled north-western Syria, as well as Youssef Al Hijr, a former HTS politburo chief, and Mustafa Al Moussa, who also served in the HTS-linked administration in the north-west.

The committee includes two women – Hind Kabawat, a Christian who works for interfaith tolerance and women's empowerment – and Houda Atassi, co-founder of non-governmental organisation International Humanitarian Relief.

SDF forces have been clashing with Turkish-backed groups in northern Syria, and the Kurds are concerned about losing political and cultural gains they have made since carving out their own enclave in the north-east during the country's civil war that began in 2011.

Mr Al Shara has previously said the SDF was ready to integrate its forces into the state but more time was needed to reach an agreement.

The Syrian leader has sought to cast himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance and promised to protect the rights of women and religious minorities. The national dialogue conference is part of that vision, but a date for the event has yet to be announced.

Mr Al Dughaim said on Thursday that conference participants would be chosen based on expertise, public influence and inclusivity. While dismissing the SDF as unrepresentative of Syrians, he said that other Kurdish participation would not be restricted.

The dialogue will produce “recommendations” to be submitted to the Syrian presidency, he added. Assad regime figures will not be included as “their place is in justice”. Mr Al Dughaim said.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to support the decision to exclude the SDF, which it views as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a Kurdish separatist militant group it has designated a terrorist organisation.

“Terrorist organisations must understand that there is no place for them in Syria. Otherwise, we will not hesitate to take action to tell them this truth,” he said in remarks to journalists carried by Turkish state media.

“We have not given shelter or a chance to survive to terrorist organisations that pose a threat to our country in northern Syria, and we will not do so in the future. We have no tolerance for terrorist organisations. When we start taking steps to solve the issue, we will not allow anyone to stall us or try to gain time.”

Western nations on Thursday joined Turkey and other major powers in pledging support for Syria's political transition.

Around 20 countries including Arab nations, Britain, France, Germany, Canada and Japan agreed at the close of a conference in Paris to “work together to ensure the success of the transition in a process led by Syria”.

The new Syrian government has been lobbying western nations to ease sanctions imposed against Mr Al Assad to allow the country to rebuild its economy. The UN estimates reconstruction will cost more than $400 billion.

- Agencies contributed to this report