Amid divisions, Kurds pursue unified representation in post-Assad Syria
Since 2012, northeast Syria’s Kurdish region has been under the control of forces affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, a key U.S. partner in the fight against the Islamic State terror group. The region is predominantly governed by the Democratic Union Party, or PYD, whose military arm forms the backbone of the SDF.
For its part, Turkey views all these groups as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Turkey, a major actor in post-Assad Syria, has pledged to eliminate these Kurdish groups if they refuse to disarm.
The Kurdish National Council, or ENKS, is another coalition of Kurdish parties in Syria that have opposed the PYD’s de facto rule in the northeast. The ENKS has ties with Turkey and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the ruling party in Iraqi Kurdistan.
This week, ENKS and SDF held a meeting attended by officials from the U.S.-led coalition against IS.
The meeting was “to discuss the formation of a unified Kurdish position within the framework of the new Syria,” according to a joint statement. “The sides agreed on the importance of urgently continuing meetings to resolve contentious issues.”
Sulaiman Oso, the ENKS president who attended the meeting on Monday, said the discussion between the two sides was transparent.
“This was our first meeting with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi in four years,” he told VOA. “We were clear and transparent about our demands, including an end to arrests of our members and the burning of our offices,” he added, referring to recent incidents in which ENKS members have been targeted by local security forces.
Oso said that trust between the two sides has significantly eroded in recent years.
“We cannot go to Damascus with a unified delegation if these internal matters aren’t resolved first,” he said, adding that the U.S., U.K. and France are pushing both Kurdish sides to reach an agreement soon.
None of these countries has publicly commented on their involvement in supporting intra-Kurdish dialogue in Syria.
However, since Bashar al-Assad’s fall on Dec. 8, U.S., French and British officials have highlighted the need to safeguard the rights of Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities, including the Kurds.
Saleh Muslim, a senior PYD official, emphasized the importance of forming a unified Kurdish delegation that includes Arabs and Christians from northeast Syria to effectively represent the region’s diverse population and their demands.
“The current meetings are still in the consultation stage,” he told VOA. “Nothing concrete has emerged yet, but the ENKS has already sent representatives to Damascus for discussions.”
The ENKS says its representatives are in the capital to hold meetings with community leaders, not with the new authorities, which are dominated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, the rebel group that led the 11-day offensive resulting in Assad’s downfall. The HTS is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., although initial meetings have taken place between U.S. diplomats and HTS leaders in Damascus.
Oso of ENKS said no current presence should replace a unified Kurdish representation in Damascus.
Observers warn that the slow progress between the two Kurdish sides could undermine efforts to establish a Kurdish foothold in Damascus.
“This is a historic moment for Syria,” said Zara Saleh, a Kurdish political analyst in London. “If the Kurds don’t have a unified and strong representation in Damascus, Kurdish demands could be ignored by the new Islamist authorities, who already view them with suspicion.”
HTS officials, including leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, have said that Kurdish rights will be protected in Syria. But in a recent interview with the Saudi news channel al-Hadath, Murhaf Abu Qasra, who was appointed by the HTS as defense minister in Syria’s caretaker government, rejected the concept of federalism, describing it as a means to divide Syria.
Syrian Kurdish groups are advocating for federalism as a solution to both their political demands and the broader issues facing the country.
But that is something that the SDF, PYD and ENKS have failed to clearly articulate, says analyst Zara Saleh.
“Their political rhetoric expired the moment the Syrian regime fell,” Saleh said. “Therefore, there is an urgent need to include Kurdish experts, civil society leaders and influential social figures in any delegation heading to Damascus, and the United States, along with other stakeholders, should advocate for this.”