The experience of autonomy has fanned the flames of kurdish. Syrias kurds should do their best to avoid both overentanglement in this broader regional battle and overreach in their quest for greater autonomy. Kurdishcontrolled areas of northern syria are expected to declare a federal system imminently, taking matters into their own hands after being excluded from peace talks in geneva. Damascus says autonomy for syrian kurds could be negotiable. Presiding over this autonomous region is the democratic union party pyd, a kurdish political party founded in the wake of 2004 riots in the. Discussions on extended powers for syrian kurds to begin once assad government defeats isil, foreign minister says. Syrian kurdistans ruling pyd has established three autonomous zones, or cantons of jazeera, kobani and afrin and a kurdish government across syrian kurdistan in 20. The kurds have been a third side to the syrian civil war since the beginning. What would happen if syrian kurds dont get autonomy after. Intra kurdish rivalries pose a major danger to the autonomy holding turkey, which repeatedly has taken military action against kurdish separatists resulting in world silence, unlike when israel defends itself against outside attack, is not pleased. They intend to link all parts of syrian kurdistan and ensure its complete selfgovernment while formally being part of syria. The syrian government is open to negotiations with kurds over their demand for autonomy within syrias borders, the foreign minister has said, striking a. Kurdish forces and their political allies now hold the largest part of syria outside the grip of assads government.
Mar 18, 2016 after declaring autonomy, syrian kurds open to ties with israel israeli professor says jerusalem should endorse kurdish aspirations in wartorn syria, can help defeat islamic state. Ankara alarmed by syrian kurds autonomy turkey boosts military along border in fear that minority groups new liberties could provide opening for terrorism. Syrian kurds struggle for autonomy threatens rebel effort to. Bakur began arming themselves behind barricades in their neighbourhoods and declaring autonomy from the. There is a possibility of the us establishing a kurdish state in syria and iraq. Since december 2016, it was renamed to northsyria democratic federation. Damascus has also rejected the federation project citing the necessity to preserve syrias territorial integrity and independence. Kurds in syria declare autonomy by pete nealen jan 24, 2014 share this. Syrian kurds declare autonomous government al arabiya english. Settling kurdish selfdetermination in northeast syria center for. Three autonomous kurdishcontrolled regions in northern syria have declared themselves a federal region on thursday, in a vote that defied objections to the unilateral move from both damascus and syrian opposition figures as well as washington and ankara.
Syrias kurdishcontrolled northern regions voted to seek autonomy on. What would happen if syrian kurds dont get autonomy after civil war. Since forces loyal to syrian president bashar al assad withdrew from the northeast in july 2012, the kurds have enjoyed more autonomy than at any other time in recent history. Qamishli, syria kurdishled authorities held local elections on friday in areas they control in northern syria, pushing ahead with autonomy plans opposed by both the government of president bashar assad and by turkey. Yesterdays surprising announcement by syrian kurds that they consider themselves in an autonomous region is either a bold move to solidify their selfdetermination before the fog of war clears, or perhaps it is john kerrys plan b to break up syria if the us cannot overthrow assad. They have captured vast territory from daesh with the. Syrian kurds to declare autonomy from damascus the times of. Syrian kurds hold local elections, press on with autonomy.
Mar 21, 2016 if the proposed kurdish syrian area of autonomy is going to remain under the roof of damascus, and if the trilateral cooperation on the battlefield between russia, the syrian army and the kurds has now evolved into a trilateral political and strategic alliance. The kurdish struggle for autonomy from the 1970s to the present. Syria to consider granting kurds greater autonomy syria. That a kurdish group would declare autonomy from syrias currently fragmented state was inevitable, but turkey is now facing a spread of kurdish separatism at the same time it is facing mounting obstacles in its current peace track with the kurdistan workers party within its borders. The kurdish population in syria is relatively small in comparison to the kurdish populations in nearby countries, such as turkey 14. After declaring autonomy, syrian kurds open to ties with israel the. Syria conflict takes kurds towards autonomy us message. The clubs goal is to promote dialogue between russian and international intellectual elite, and to make an independent, unbiased scientific analysis of political, economic and social events in russia and the rest of the. Syrian kurds plan to declare autonomy in manbij at the. Syrian kurds hold local elections, press on with autonomy plans. Syrian kurds declare autonomy on eve of geneva 2 damascus has also rejected the federation project citing the necessity to preserve syrias territorial integrity and independence.
Kurdish autonomy partition or master plan the vineyard of. The move drew sharp rebuke from both the bashar alassad regime in syria and its opponents who condemned the unilateral move as unconstitutional. Kurds to pursue more autonomy in a fallen syria the new. Mar 17, 2016 kurdishcontrolled areas of northern syria are expected to declare a federal system imminently, taking matters into their own hands after being excluded from peace talks in geneva. Syrian kurds declare autonomous government al arabiya. Kurds want lands they control in syria to become federation. On thursday, syria s kurds did declare a defacto federal region in kurdish controlled areas of northern syria, reports the associated press ap.
Jul 31, 2015 the past three years have been heady times for syrias kurds. Despite the current tactical moves by the assad regimes remaining forces to protect the kurds in syrias northwestern afrin province, the regime continues to threaten syrian kurds and hint at a restoration of the status quo. Jul 26, 20 syrian kurds struggle for autonomy threatens rebel effort to oust assad. Their emerging selfrule is starting to echo the autonomy of kurds in neighbouring north iraq, and highlights syrias slow fragmentation into.
Syrian kurds struggle for autonomy threatens rebel effort. It would be a mistake to overlook the importance of kurdish historical memory as syrian kurds claim autonomy. Turkeys problems grow with a syrian kurdish move for autonomy. If it werent for our armed driver, it would be easy to forget that just past. Turkey rejected a unilateral declaration of autonomy over syria s kurdish lands by the countrys dominant kurdish group, while the larger. Syrian kurds declare federal autonomy conflictcauses. Syrias kurds rebuked for seeking autonomous region reuters. Kurdish groups, both within syria and throughout the middle east. Dec 03, 20 syrian kurds defeat islamists, declare autonomy professor ibrahim sirkeci from regents university london is interviewed by henry ridgwell for voice of america on 14th november 20. Aug 02, 2017 germany, kurdish autonomy in syrian kurdistan, the north of syria, has every chance of gaining recognition under a number of scenarios, following the examples of south ossetia or kosovo, according to syrian dissident salah eldin bilal, the head of the asbar center for research and studies in dusseldorf, germany. The advantages of kurdish autonomy in syria the washington.
This brief is made possible by general support to the csis middle east program. Regional upheaval has fueled calls by kurdish groups for autonomy. Syrian kurds struggle for autonomy threatens rebel effort to oust assad. Kurdish parties declare a new federal system in areas they control in northern syria, ignoring criticism from the syrian and turkish governments. Syrian kurds declare semiautonomous region in north.
Left unresolved in the waning days of the obama administration was the question of who should lead the assault. Syria conflict takes kurds towards autonomy by rana moussaoui afp feb 16, 2016 in world syrias kurds, long held in disdain by damascus, are edging towards autonomy in their heartland along turkeys border as they capitalise on the tactical goals of both washington and moscow. The kurds are the largest indigenous middle eastern nation without a. He has also been the host of the weekly program sinirsiz, on imc tv. Democratic union party and allied groups approve document that declares federal democratic system in countrys north. The valdai discussion club was established in 2004. The clouds of doubt over the kurdish autonomy project in northern syria have thickened after the kurds struck a military alliance with damascus.
So far these essentially have been turf battles, but they could escalate into a broader conflict over the kurds future status. Mar 17, 2016 it would be a mistake to overlook the importance of kurdish historical memory as syrian kurds claim autonomy. Thats a flip from 2016, when barack obamas administration indicated that it didnt support syrian kurdish autonomy. Though the declaration of autonomy by syrian kurds defies both turkey. The 1970 iraqikurdish autonomy agreement would have established kurdistan as an. Damascus says autonomy for syrian kurds could be negotiable assad govt willing to discuss matter after isis war jason ditz posted on september 26, 2017 september 26, 2017 categories news tags. Mar 16, 2016 kurdishcontrolled autonomous areas in northern syria are expected to declare a federal system. Washingtons greater middle east project aims at creating kurdish state. Here we speak of how to preserve the unity of syria and its independence. The announcement further complicates the civil war in syria, and presents a complex problem for neighboring turkey and the autonomous kurdistan regional government in northern iraq. In august 2015, kurdish insurgents in southeastern turkey erected barricades and declared autonomy in various urban centres, in a move apparently.
Syrian kurds plan to declare autonomy in manbij at the risk of angering. Syrian rebels clash with government forces unseen at a military airport in syrias northeastern city of deir ezzor on. On march 17, 2016 syrias kurds declared a federal region in syrian kurdistan. Jul 19, 20 that a kurdish group would declare autonomy from syrias currently fragmented state was inevitable, but turkey is now facing a spread of kurdish separatism at the same time it is facing mounting obstacles in its current peace track with the kurdistan workers party within its borders. They declared that kurds had a right to self determination, as kurdistan has been split into four. Syrian kurds are trying to build a leftist revolution in the midst of a civil war. Autonomy is indeed part of the hdp program, but the program nowhere. The advantages of kurdish autonomy in syria zara saleh. Syrian kurds defeat islamists, declare autonomy professor ibrahim sirkeci from regents university london is interviewed by henry ridgwell for voice of america on 14th november 20. This comes as the syrian kurds have declared a semiautonomous federal region in northern syria, as the group pushes. Bureau members of a preparatory conference to announce a federal. The move comes ahead of the geneva 2 peace talks, in which they will not have direct representation. If the proposed kurdish syrian area of autonomy is going to remain under the roof of damascus, and if the trilateral cooperation on the battlefield between russia, the syrian army and the kurds has now evolved into a trilateral political and strategic alliance. It is noteworthy that the us and russia are thus in effect cooperating to restore territory to assad.
Regional implications of an independent kurdistan rand. Syrias kurds work all the angles for autonomy asharq al. Kurds view the civil war as an opportunity to gain the kind of autonomy enjoyed by their ethnic kin in neighboring iraq. Sep 26, 2017 the syrian government is open to negotiations with kurds over their demand for autonomy within syrias borders, the foreign minister has said, striking a conciliatory tone as military tensions.
The desire for control and influence across the region has been the key driver of. After declaring autonomy, syrian kurds open to ties with. Syrian kurds declare autonomy on eve of geneva 2 rt. The conference to declare the federation of three western kurdistan enclaves will be in rmelan. The past three years have been heady times for syrias kurds. Kurdish autonomy in the north of syria has every chance of gaining recognition under a number of scenarios, following the examples of south ossetia or kosovo, according to syrian dissident salah eldin bilal, the head of the asbar center for research and studies in dusseldorf, germany. When president trump declared on december 19 that u. Syrian kurds declare autonomy 14 nov voice of america youtube. Syrian kurds plan to declare autonomy in manbij at the risk. Syrias conflict gives its kurdish population an opening to rectify historic wrongs and push for more autonomy. Against the backdrop of the raging civil war, syrian kurds have already etched out a measure of autonomy in their territories not because they. Ankara fires at syrian targets after crossborder fire kills at least 1.
Syrian kurds declare their own region, raising tensions the. Main all news middle east syrian kurds declare autonomy. Geneva talks the syrian kurdish national council knc is the entity representing kurds in the opposition, but the relationship between the. Possible scenarios of recognition of syrian kurds autonomy. Kurds declare autonomous zone in northern syria despite some objections from brethren in iraq. Mar 16, 2016 syrian kurdish parties say they are planning to declare a new federal system in areas they control in the north of the country.
That would not be in the interests of washington, or even ankara, in the long term. After declaring autonomy, syrian kurds open to ties with israel. The most powerful kurdish faction in syria has declared selfrule over the territory it controls in the northeast of the country. It consists of selfgoverning subregions in the areas of afrin, jazira, euphrates, raqqa, tabqa, manbij and deir ezzor. Syrian kurds declare autonomy middle east israel national. Syrian kurds to declare autonomy from damascus clashes between kurds, islamists precede planned july 19 announcement. Kurds in the syrian war middle east policy council. We believe that washingtons greater middle east project is aimed at creating kurdistan among other things. This answer will be very long answer as you have asked 5 different questions. Following the establishment of a kurdish autonomous enclave, syrian kurds will never accept repression, discrimination, or social exclusion at the hands of a future syrian government.
Their fate at present rests in syria, and thus it is with syrians that they must negotiate their role in the coming order and ensure, at long last, respect for their basic rights. Some time ago i commented that it would be a smart move by assad to grant autonomy to syrian kurds, sort of federal form within. In january 2014, three areas under tevdem rule declared their autonomy as cantons now afrin region, jazira region and. Sep 29, 2012 against the backdrop of the raging civil war, syrian kurds have already etched out a measure of autonomy in their territories not because they have taken up arms against the government, but.
Syrian kurds victory over isil could stir up problems. Kurds declare defacto federal region in northern syria. Syrian kurds declared an autonomous provincial government in the countrys northern territory on tuesday, according to reports. Syrian kurds declare their own region, raising tensions. The syrian kurds will continue the sovereignization of the territory under their control. Jan 21, 2014 syrian kurds declared an autonomous provincial government in the countrys northern territory on tuesday, according to reports. Washingtons weapon of mass destabilization in the middle east in this three part series, mintpress contributor sarah abed analyzes the role that some kurdish factions have played. Similarly, the kurddagh kurdish mount has been inhabited by kurds for more than a millennium. Syrian kurdish parties say they are planning to declare a new federal system in areas they control in the north of the country. Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in syria, and make up between 7 and 10 percent of the syrian population as of 2011between 1.
Kurdish autonomy partition or master plan the vineyard. Syrian kurds declare autonomy 14 nov voice of america. Kurds in syria declare autonomy legal insurrection. Mar 17, 2016 syrian kurds declare their own region, raising tensions. Or perhaps it is a reaction to us continue reading kurds declare autonomous region. Main all news middle east syrian kurds declare autonomy syrian kurds declare autonomy after months of fighting, northeastern syria makes official split to kurdish autonomy. But the syrian opposition has rejected the kurdish bid for autonomy, and arab leaders from the area also said they would not back it. Short answer oppression of kurds and other minorities will continue like prewar days. It was named after lake valdai, which is located close to veliky novgorod, where the clubs first meeting took place. Washingtons greater middle east project aims at creating. Kurdish area in syria, allied with the autonomous kurdish region in iraq, would provide a stronghold of support for kurds in turkey who seek. Kurdishcontrolled autonomous areas in northern syria are expected to declare a federal system.
After declaring autonomy, syrian kurds open to ties with israel israeli professor says jerusalem should endorse kurdish aspirations in wartorn syria, can help defeat islamic state. Pyd officials claimed autonomy for the kurdishcontrolled areas on thursday after two days of meetings with delegates of different communities. Geneva talks the syrian kurdish national council knc is the entity representing kurds in the opposition, but the relationship between the knc and pyd as well its armed wing, the ypg is complicated. Syrian kurds fighting for full autonomy valdai club. That puts the syrian kurds in the strong position of having the support of syria and its ally russia, and also the us.
In fact, kurdish autonomy in syria has brought renewed attention to the wider kurdish issue. The democratic union party pyd, one of the leading kurdish political forces in syria, has indicated that it plans to establish a democratic autonomous administration in manbij, which made headlines last week when russia and the united states tried to prevent turkishled forces and the syrian kurds from clashing over the city. In syria, trump faces a tough balancing act between turks. The announcement further complicates the civil war in syria, and presents a complex problem for neighboring turkey and the. Syrian kurds to declare autonomy from damascus the times.
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