MSDOn the ninth of December 2015, in the city of Derik, far northeastern Syria, powers supporting dialogue, national solutions, and democracy and other powers concerned about the unity and safety of Syria gathered. They were deeply affected by the ongoing tragedy of the Syrian people, their dispersion, and the threats endangering the future of its people. Together, they came up with a vision and strategy that led to the founding of the Syrian Democratic Council, known by the acronym (SDC).
After eight years since the founding of the SDC and thirteen years of the crisis, despite significant changes in Syria and the region as a whole, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)have successfully confronted the most notorious terrorist group (ISIS), liberated cities and towns in the north and northeast of Syria, and established civil structures managing their affairs independently. On the other hand, parts of northern Syria have become under Turkish occupation and the control of factions united only by criminality and the persecution of Syrians. Meanwhile, the rest of the Syrian governorates are burdened by the tyranny of a centralized rule possessing only a fake victory.
We have not witnessed any international consensus on resolving the crisis by the concerned international powers. Civil war has broken out among Syrians, turning Syria into a battleground for settling scores, proxy wars, and external projects trying to violate the Syrian identity.
Amidst these realities, the SDC has become, through the cooperation of partners and those committed to the unity of Syria and its social fabric, the national umbrella for Syrian democratic movements and powers that believe in a Syrian solution through dialogue and negotiation.
As we congratulate the Syrians on this occasion, we call on all Syrians to work towards developing a democratic national project for a united Syria based on a national identity, a modern constitution and a decentralized regime agreed upon by all Syrians.
On December 9, 2023
The Syrian Democratic Council
