Syrian Kurds: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
The future of the Syrian Kurds and their militias is uncertain, according to Andrea Glioti, an expert on Syrian and Kurdish affairs, who shared insights with Sputnik about the aspirations of major regional parties.
Kurdish Hopes for Autonomy
The Kurds, Syria’s largest non-Arab ethnic minority, strive for autonomy similar to that of Iraqi Kurdistan, according to Glioti.
Glioti assumes an autonomous region would have its own ministries, except for defense and foreign affairs, while remaining under Damascus’s control. The initial step toward this autonomy involves recognizing Kurdish identity and cultural rights, according to the pundit.
Syrian Transitional Government
HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani, now using his birth name Ahmed al-Sharaa and playing a key role in the new Syrian transitional, government insists that “Syria must remain united.”
Although al-Sharaa has stated that Kurds are “part of the homeland” and would face “no injustice,” it remains uncertain whether the Syrian transitional government will accept the Kurdish autonomy, Glioti said.
Turkiye’s Conflict with Syrian Kurds
Ankara opposes the presence of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkiye designates as terrorists along with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Glioti explains that Turkiye views the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria as a threat to its national security due to its ties with the PKK separartist movement.
Given Turkiye’s influence in post-Assad Syria, it is unlikely that Kurdish politicians will be included in the new transitional government in Syria