Syria really cannot catch a fucking break. It’s a tense situation between the new Syrian government and the Kurdish SDF. On the Syrian government’s end, while Al-Sharaa has been scoring diplomatic wins abroad and posturing in a way that makes him palatable to western leaders, it’s crucial not to forget that his new government and military is still dominated by Islamists and has had a spotty record with minority groups since coming to power (the massacre of Alawites and violence against Druze quite notably). As such, it is reasonable for the Kurds to be wary of giving up power at the risk that they will face the same repression and violence should they do so. This is doubly worrisome considering how Turkey is one of Syria’s most prominent backers.
Yet at the same time active conflict or war would be the last thing either side desires and frankly my (uninformed) opinion is that were it to come to blows, it would not be the SDF coming out on top. As such, diplomacy is key and I hope representatives on both sides are able to hash out a deal that is considered acceptable and protects both the rights and freedoms of the Kurds as well as the unity of the new Syrian state if possible. It will take every hand on deck to bring the country into a better state than the miserable one it has unfortunately suffered in its past.
2 Comments
Syria really cannot catch a fucking break. It’s a tense situation between the new Syrian government and the Kurdish SDF. On the Syrian government’s end, while Al-Sharaa has been scoring diplomatic wins abroad and posturing in a way that makes him palatable to western leaders, it’s crucial not to forget that his new government and military is still dominated by Islamists and has had a spotty record with minority groups since coming to power (the massacre of Alawites and violence against Druze quite notably). As such, it is reasonable for the Kurds to be wary of giving up power at the risk that they will face the same repression and violence should they do so. This is doubly worrisome considering how Turkey is one of Syria’s most prominent backers.
Yet at the same time active conflict or war would be the last thing either side desires and frankly my (uninformed) opinion is that were it to come to blows, it would not be the SDF coming out on top. As such, diplomacy is key and I hope representatives on both sides are able to hash out a deal that is considered acceptable and protects both the rights and freedoms of the Kurds as well as the unity of the new Syrian state if possible. It will take every hand on deck to bring the country into a better state than the miserable one it has unfortunately suffered in its past.
!ping MIDDLE-EAST