Syria’s Defense Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday calling on the Kurdish SDF to unite with the Syrian Army as part of a full restructuring, saying that Syrians, Arab and Kurd alike, should unite to resist the “one enemy” that is Turkey.
This is a rare situation in the long and very complicated Syrian Civil War, as beyond the government and the autonomy-seeking Kurds, what is left is almost entirely Turkey and Turkish-backed Islamists.
The Kurdish SDF issued a statement quickly rejecting the idea of a merger, however, saying that they believe a unity of forces can only come after a political settlement on the status of Kurdish territory.
In essence, the Kurds are using the SDF as leverage to try to get a guarantee for their long-sought autonomy. The danger is that the Kurds are in a precarious position, with the Turkish invasion focused heavily on them. At the same time, the US-armed SDF is the last bargaining chip the Kurds really have to get that autonomy deal.
The US and Turkey have both expressed opposition to the SDF ever becoming part of the Syrian military, and both have objected to Kurdish autonomy as well. Indeed, Turkey’s whole reason for scrapping historic ties to Assad and backing the rebels was the notion that Arab-dominated rebel groups would more tightly crack down on the Kurds in general.
There’s only so much backstabbing, looting and ethnic cleaning you can do and the Kurds have absolutely no leverage over Syria. No cards to play. Insane opportunistic decisions have lead the Kurds to the end of the road. It’s either accept the deal or have civilians slaughtered by Turkey’s jihadist cutthroat militias and the elite fleeing to the Barzani clan in Iraq.
And here you are wrong! Syrian YPG and Turkish PKK are one snd the same. It looms like US favors PKK , and in Iraq it all became obvious. US favored PKK in Iraq over Barzani’s Peshmerga.
How do I know it? After US came back into Iraq with the objective of kicking out ISIS from Sinjar to save poor Yazidis. US engaged Kurds to do that — both PKK and Peshmerga. But, after taking city over — US allowed ONLY PKK to enter the city. Peshmerga boss Barzani told that to media. Same thing happened in Kirkuk.
US and Western countries are supporting PKK in Turkey and Syria, and have supported its rise against traditional Kurdish leadership under Barzani. Since that happened — Barzani met with Erdogan many times, as PKK became their common enemy.
Why did US turn against Barzani and Peshmerga? Because Barzani was putting brakes on US, UK, and Israeli plans for Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq was accusing US of trying to create another Israel. US was cultivating PKK in Iraq to win over population from “old” guard. What happened next — I thought was a set up. Out of nowhere — Barzani calls for referendum for independence. US was caught flat footed — as it was playing Iraqi ally, and could not support independence.
Iraqi army went after PKK controlled towns of Kirkuk and Sinjar. Barzani Peshmerga did not move a finger to help them, and Iraqi army took the towns from PKK. Barzani then offered no resistance, and Iraq took control of airports and borders.
Poor Yazidi were finally allowed back.
the Kurds must have just about the worst military and political leadership in the world to be still acting like this.
the russians and syrian gov’t are saving many of their asses from the jihadists/turks – and yet they still seem to have this pipe dream that the US and ‘the world’ are going to come to their aid. Sad
its like in iraq, they wont stop thinking they are about to achieve full independence until the government forces have taken over all their territory.
Yes —. and do you know why? It is because the leadership gets all the rewards, money, potential political future, and even a new citizenship if everything
else fails.
Kurds were privileged during French colonial rule over Syria. Some cultural supremacism remained since.
The call by the Syrian Ministry of Defense came just hours after several tribal chiefs sent a letter to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad asking him to grant all SDF fighters general amnesty so that they could complete their military service and be welcomed back into the state.
The SDF, a western creation and who wants to divide Syria…..rejected the ministry’s call because of the way the statement was worded.
A colossal blunder by the Kurds.
Probably by order from uncle Sam.
Yes, for sure — but why would they listen? To find out if there are still morsels left to be squeezed from Uncle Sam?
SDF is a western created tool/group to divide the Kurds in Syria.
Even if Syria would accept all SDF demands, the SDF would make more demands.
The SDF has taken by force a big part of their country`s land and resources and acts as the US mercenary…..and still the Syrian government is inclusive.
The Kurds are traitors…..and again and again are betraying their country Syria.
The Syrian army should not help the Kurds/SDF in the north against Turkey.
Which Kurds? All Kurds?
What makes Syria “their country,” other than some borders drawn on a cocktail napkin by western imperialists?
What makes the particular government running Syria “their government” other than some CIA-backed coups over the last century ?
Maybe your ignorance blinds you, most Kurds in Syria are Syrian nationals…….at least Syrian Kurds born in Syria are Syrian citizens ……just like a child born in the US.
The SDF, a western creation wants to divide Syria.
The call by the Ministry of Defense came just hours after several tribal chiefs sent a letter to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad asking him to grant all SDF fighters general amnesty so that they could complete their military service and be welcomed back into the state.
The Syrian government is legitimate and represented at the UN……you and your government may not like it and want to overthrow by all means, so you can get your Qatar pipeline through.
How is you not being able to answer a couple of simple questions an indicator of “my ignorance?”
I have no government, nor any Qatar pipeline,nor any desire to overthrow the regime in Syria any more than to overthrow any other regime.
Apparently, despite not practicing since I was 12, to the Vatican, I remain Catholic. Unless I do some weird process of theirs, I remain so. We are defined two main ways, how we view ourselves, and how others view us.
If I said “the blacks” or “the women” the way some people are saying “the Kurds,” it would be well understood that I’m irrationally attributing characteristics to a very large group — ~30 million people spread across territories claimed by four regimes — based on the behaviors of a few members of that group in one area.
That’s noxious in itself, not even including the silly notion that just because two Brits and two Frenchmen took some markers to a map and some Russians and Italians approved a hundred years ago, everyone living inside any particular set of those map lines is forever and ever amen bound to the presumed “legitimacy” of whatever gang happens to seize control of that piece of the krazy quilt.
Yup, understand the frustration. Unfortunately those 2 brits and frenchmen represented combined modern fleets, artillery, and trained armies. Thereby, those lines, like all of the lines on the globe, became international law. So, those Kurds that resided in Syria prior to the civil war, would be recognized as Syrian citizens in international law, unless another state were created in its stead, and became recognized in law. Somewhere in history, the warrior code was replaced with the city/state.
Tomas, he called you ignorant because your questions were based on historical events. My hunch is that he doesn’t know much about that. So his response was in present tense.
You must consider that not everyone is a historian or have knowledge of historical events.
My, my. Are you confused. Let us start simple. We cannot turn the clock to our favorite time in history and claim our rights. Today, Syria is a sovereign state recognized by UN. Syrian Government is representing Syria in UN.
I do not approve of breaking laws for the sake of claiming for myself or my nationality, race or religion any more privileges the other citizens have.
Kurds may have to accept that they are neither chosen nor exceptional. They chose to serve US in Syria battling ISIS. That was highly unnecessary— as Syria and Russia, along with Turkey could have finished the job in less then half the time.
Kurds chose the job with the expectation of territorial gain at the expense of other Syrian citizens. They committed ethnic cleansing — many of their victims are in Turkey as refugees. And now they expect to keep the loot — while Syrian Army and Russian police protect their “capital ”, Kobane.
Kurds deserve to have all rights and opportunities other citizens of Syria have.
Since they are majority in the towns if Kobane and Afrin — once elections take place — I am very sure they can elect Kurds to all offices there.
And before someone raises historical grievances that Kurds in Syria kay claim to —. they need first to wash off the shame of Kurdish privileged status during French colonial rule over Syria.
There is a Constitutional Committee meeting in Geneva shortly, This is a place to put in some political work to achieve political goals.
And before feeling sorry for Kurds, I
would like to remember the suffering of many Syrian Communities in this atrocity of foreign intervention.
Sunni refugees from Iraqi war, over a million, and Sunnis of Syria, that were subject to abuse and atrocities by . foreign funded Islamic militants, Salafi cults and then ISIS. They were targeted by unscrupulous geopolitical games, as part of the larger Sunni entity straddling Iraq and Syria. Till today — US is proudly patrolling Iraq-Syria border, trying to erase it. How many innocents died in this vane attempt at playing God.
And let us not forget those poor Shia and Christian villages — how many innocents had to die, the human sacrifice to geopolitical games. And how many communities had to be sacrificed — in order to glorify. religious fanatics, called “rebels”, and their multi-year hostages were described as willing supporters of “rebellion”. And once liberated — no “free” Western media talked to them about their experiences.
“Let us start simple. We cannot turn the clock to our favorite time in history and claim our rights.”
Correct.
Not even if your last name is Assad.
Not to worry, the Russians will fix it.
“what is left”….mmmmm, coulda sworn the US illigally parked some tanks over there, maybe check the gas stations.
“Turkey’s whole reason for scrapping historic ties to Assad and backing the rebels was the notion that Arab-dominated rebel groups would more tightly crack down on the Kurds in general.”
A pretty facetious statement. Assad’s ties to the Kurds predate a relatively recent detente with Turkey by decades. Turkey has always taken an inherrently revanchist attitude towards Syria, who they still view as a part of the Ottoman Empire. Assad was a major sponsor of the PKK and even gave Abdullah Ocalan asylum for years, only backing out when Turkey threatened to invade, and even then, they didn’t hand Ocalan over. The CIA had to nab him in Nairobi. Assad’s relationship with the Kurds is strained but they are united by the fact that Turkey doesn’t respect the right for either to exist.
Let’s live in present — Ottoman Empire is dead. The issue is Kurds. Always trying to make themselves useful to geopolitical games, always trying to achieve their goals by guns.
I cannot speak for Kurds in Turkey, but if they are just as nasty as in Syria — Turkey has a problem. They ran to Assad and Russia to get protection from Turkey. They have Syrian for es and Russian police save their Kobane, and save the heads of many Kurds that have kicked out Arabs and Turkmen from their homes and businesses in Manbij, Raqqa and others. Had Turkish militants come in — those that took their homes would be dead.
In a publicly released video – conference with Russian Defense Minister, head of SDF has accepted Russian-Syrian deal.
It is also absurd asking for autonomy. On what territory? Surely, they are not expecting that Arabs would just donate their land to them? Or they want autonomy in area they are majority? That would be town of Kobane and township of Afrin. Size of two counties?
I do have a problem with this article taking Kurdish propaganda on face value — they can indeed try to stay armed — but on what territory? And what are their numbers? Fighters are mostly PKK from Turkey and Iraq, as there are not enough Kurds in those two areas to field large fighting force.
At present — there are no more any Arab Syrians in SDF, so why even call them SDF?
Syria has called on Kurds to stop Turkey. They refused. OK.
This needs rethinking.