Assyrian Party Meets With Kurdish Party After Office Closure

TEV-DEM official Abdul Salam Ahmed meets Assyrian politician and ADO leader Gabriel Moushe Gawrieh in Qamishli. ( ANHA) Abdul Salam Ahmed, member of the Executive Committee of the Democratic Society Movement in Syria (TEV-DEM) on Wednesday met with Gabriel Moushe Gawrieh, the head of the Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) after the local self-administration shut down the office of ADO in northeastern Syria last month.

The PYD-led self-administration also closed two headquarters for the Assyrian Democratic Association in the cities of Qamishli and al-Malakiyah (Derik) in mid March.

Officials of the PYD-linked TEV-DEM and ADO discussed on Wednesday the recent political crisis "and the need to respect the laws of the administration," Ahmed was quoted by ANHA as saying.

According to the TEV-DEM official, both parties agreed to hold regular meetings to discuss all issues and exchange views. It's however unclear if ADO will be able to open its office again.

The local canton administration issued a 24-hours deadline in mid March that political parties had to register according to the law of April 2014, or face closure. Following the deadline, all offices of non-registered parties in Rojava were closed.

"The meeting between the two parties took place in a crucial stage as a result of closing down offices of ADO by Self-Administration, as ADO lacks an official permit. The meeting comes amid ongoing efforts to alter this decision," David Vergili, a representative for the European Syriac Union in Brussels told ARA News. "The power of the Democratic Self Administration [in northern Syria] relies on its authenticity, pluralism and full representation of all segments and groups in the region."

"The process is still alive and cooperation and bilateral relations are key to ease tensions and find durable solutions for a long term projects," he said.

This is the first time that TEV-DEM officials meet with a leading member of ADO--an Assyrian party that is part of the Syrian Opposition Coalition.

"They are with Etilaf [opposition], but they are able to play on two sides," Vergili added.

The Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) was established in Syria in 1957 and is the largest Assyrian political faction in the country. ADO is also one of the founders of the Syrian National Council (SNC)--in October 2011.

Gabriel Moushe Gawrieh spent two years in the jail of the Syrian government and was released in June 2016.