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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Are Syria's Kurds next at risk of sectarian violence?
In the aftermath of the latest violence against minorities in Syria, military representatives of Syria's largest minority, the around 2.5 million Kurds, have now clarified that for them, "disarmament is a red line." On Thursday, Farhad Shami, the spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), told the local TV channel al-Youm TV that "those betting on our capitulation will lose, the tragic events have made that clear." He was referring to the deadly violence between Bedouin Arab tribes and the third-largest religious minority, the Druze, which rattled the country earlier this month. Stating the SDF's "red line" is all the more significant, as Syria's Kurds are also politically at a critical juncture. A planned meeting on Thursday in Paris about key details of an earlier peace deal between the Kurds and Syria's interim government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa was postponed, and has not yet been rescheduled. The sticking points of the agreement, meant to be implemented by the end of the year, are the integration of the Kurdish forces into Damascus' national army and the authority over Syria's Kurdish region with its border crossings to Iraq and Turkey, as well as the region's oil fields and prisons with thousands of "Islamic State" fighters. Meanwhile, a Syrian government source told the news agency AFP that "using the events in Sweida or along the coast [where violence against the Alawite minority took place in spring this year] to justify refusing to return to the state fold is a manipulation of public opinion." "A genuine national dialogue cannot happen under the threat of weapons or with backing from foreign powers," the source added. Turkey warns Kurds against exploiting tensions On Wednesday, however, The Associated Press news agency reported that Damascus had requested Turkey's support to strengthen Syrian defense capabilities. Ankara is known as fierce supporter of Syria's interim president. Turkey also considers the Kurds in Syria to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, which is categorized as terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU and US. Therefore, Turkey would like to see the Syrian Kurdish forces either integrate in Syria's national army, or to lay down their weapons along with the recently announced end of the PKK and the symbolic weapons' destruction ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan on July 11. Turkey has also been trying to clinch a defense agreement with Damascus. But such a deal would reportedly include establishing Turkish military bases on Syrian territory, presumably in Syria's northeast where the Kurdish population resides under the administration of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. According to the AP agency, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned Kurdish and other groups in Syria against exploiting the tensions in Syria's south to pursue autonomy. He also stated that any attempt to divide Syria would be viewed as a direct threat to Turkey's national security and could prompt intervention. While it remains to be seen if, or to what extent, the Syrian Kurds will maintain their semi-autonomy in Syria's northeast within the frame of the peace deal with Damascus, it is the general quest for autonomy that differentiates the Kurds from other factions in the country. However, all have called on Damascus to uphold their rights as minorities in the country. "If minorities such as the Druze, Alawites and Christians are not granted inclusive rights, the Kurds will not give up any of their specific demands either," Mohamed Noureddine, a Beirut-based Middle East professor at the Lebanese University, told DW. "Unless the administration of Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus establishes a dialogue and adopts a constitution that treats all citizens equally, there will be no stability," he said. Al-Sharaa has repeatedly said he will uphold the rights of minorities and guarantee protection, although not all the factions of his government support this stance. Recent attacks on minorities were allegedly exacerbated by governmental forces. Will Israel, US get involved? "If the Kurds feel significantly threatened by Turkish offerings of security sector support to Damascus, I could easily see Israel taking advantage of that," said Natasha Hall, a foreign policy expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "We already know there's been a relationship between Kurds in various countries and Israel, as part of Israel's sort of grander plan to establish relationships with minorities across the Middle East," she told DW. Earlier this month, Israel targeted the headquarters of the Syrian Defense Ministry in central Damascus and government forces in Sweida in support of the Druze minority. "We could see an insurgency in the foreseeable future unless the US decides to actually hold the hand of various warring parties and support security sector reform and the unification of the army," said Hall. In her view, this would also include the safe handoff of the US-backed but Kurdish-run prisons with some 9,000 suspected members of the "Islamic State" terror group, along with some 40,000 IS fighters and their families in Kurdish-led detention camps. If the Kurds and Damascus were aligned in these matters, Hall believes it could also hold Israel back and allay the concerns of the Kurds and the Turks — but only with stringent security agreements and guarantees of rights, she added. "The question is whether or not the administration in Washington has any kind of patience for those details," she said. After 14 years of civil war, a lot needs to be done in Syria's post-conflict environment to address its different factions and shattered economy. "Balancing the different ideologies in warring factions in Syria would be challenging for any Syrian leader," said Hall. "Even if you were talking about someone with a very clean record, not Ahmed al-Sharaa [who used to have links to Islamist extremist groups before he became the country's interim president in December], this would be a very difficult balancing act, to say the least." However, in her view, for Syria and all of the Syrian minorities it is not just a "nice thing" to have national reconciliation. "It is something that is very necessary to ensure stability and peace for the future." This article was originally written in German.
DW
4 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Are Syria's Kurds next at risk of sectarian violence? – DW – 07/26/2025
Following deadly clashes against the Druze and Alawites minorities, and amid the planned dissolution of the Kurdish PKK, Syria's Kurds are at a critical juncture. To what extent do Turkey, Israel and the US have a say? In the aftermath of the latest violence against minorities in Syria, military representatives of Syria's largest minority, the around 2.5 million Kurds, have now clarified that for them, "disarmament is a red line." On Thursday, Farhad Shami, the spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), told the local TV channel al-Youm TV that "those betting on our capitulation will lose, the tragic events have made that clear." He was referring to the deadly violence between Bedouin Arab tribes and the third-largest religious minority, the Druze, which rattled the country earlier this month. Stating the SDF's "red line" is all the more significant, as Syria's Kurds are also politically at a critical juncture. A planned meeting on Thursday in Paris about key details of an earlier peace deal between the Kurds and Syria's interim government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa was postponed, and has not yet been rescheduled. The sticking points of the agreement, meant to be implemented by the end of the year, are the integration of the Kurdish forces into Damascus' national army and the authority over Syria's Kurdish region with its border crossings to Iraq and Turkey, as well as the region's oil fields and prisons with thousands of "Islamic State" fighters. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Meanwhile, a Syrian government source told the news agency AFP that "using the events in Sweida or along the coast [where violence against the Alawite minority took place in spring this year] to justify refusing to return to the state fold is a manipulation of public opinion." "A genuine national dialogue cannot happen under the threat of weapons or with backing from foreign powers," the source added. On Wednesday, however, The Associated Press news agency reported that Damascus had requested Turkey's support to strengthen Syrian defense capabilities. Ankara is known as fierce supporter of Syria's interim president. Turkey also considers the Kurds in Syria to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, which is categorized as terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU and US. Therefore, Turkey would like to see the Syrian Kurdish forces either integrate in Syria's national army, or to lay down their weapons along with the recently announced end of the PKK and the symbolic weapons' destruction ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan on July 11. Turkey has also been trying to clinch a defense agreement with Damascus. But such a deal would reportedly include establishing Turkish military bases on Syrian territory, presumably in Syria's northeast where the Kurdish population resides under the administration of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. According to the AP agency, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned Kurdish and other groups in Syria against exploiting the tensions in Syria's south to pursue autonomy. He also stated that any attempt to divide Syria would be viewed as a direct threat to Turkey's national security and could prompt intervention. While it remains to be seen if, or to what extent, the Syrian Kurds will maintain their semi-autonomy in Syria's northeast within the frame of the peace deal with Damascus, it is the general quest for autonomy that differentiates the Kurds from other factions in the country. However, all have called on Damascus to uphold their rights as minorities in the country. "If minorities such as the Druze, Alawites and Christians are not granted inclusive rights, the Kurds will not give up any of their specific demands either," Mohamed Noureddine, a Beirut-based Middle East professor at the Lebanese University, told DW. "Unless the administration of Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus establishes a dialogue and adopts a constitution that treats all citizens equally, there will be no stability," he said. Al-Sharaa has repeatedly said he will uphold the rights of minorities and guarantee protection, although not all the factions of his government support this stance. Recent attacks on minorities were allegedly exacerbated by governmental forces. "If the Kurds feel significantly threatened by Turkish offerings of security sector support to Damascus, I could easily see Israel taking advantage of that," said Natasha Hall, a foreign policy expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "We already know there's been a relationship between Kurds in various countries and Israel, as part of Israel's sort of grander plan to establish relationships with minorities across the Middle East," she told DW. Earlier this month, Israel targeted the headquarters of the Syrian Defense Ministry in central Damascus and government forces in Sweida in support of the Druze minority. "We could see an insurgency in the foreseeable future unless the US decides to actually hold the hand of various warring parties and support security sector reform and the unification of the army," said Hall. In her view, this would also include the safe handoff of the US-backed but Kurdish-run prisons with some 9,000 suspected members of the "Islamic State" terror group, along with some 40,000 IS fighters and their families in Kurdish-led detention camps. If the Kurds and Damascus were aligned in these matters, Hall believes it could also hold Israel back and allay the concerns of the Kurds and the Turks — but only with stringent security agreements and guarantees of rights, she added. "The question is whether or not the administration in Washington has any kind of patience for those details," she said. After 14 years of civil war, a lot needs to be done in Syria's post-conflict environment to address its different factions and shattered economy. "Balancing the different ideologies in warring factions in Syria would be challenging for any Syrian leader," said Hall. "Even if you were talking about someone with a very clean record, not Ahmed al-Sharaa [who used to have links to Islamist extremist groups before he became the country's interim president in December], this would be a very difficult balancing act, to say the least." However, in her view, for Syria and all of the Syrian minorities it is not just a "nice thing" to have national reconciliation. "It is something that is very necessary to ensure stability and peace for the future."
Rudaw Net
4 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Suwayda violence ‘complicates' SDF integration into Syria army, says official
Also in Syria Female Kurdish force rescues Yazidi woman from 11 years ISIS captivity Suwayda doctors recount harrowing accounts of sectarian violence Damascus rejects SDF demands to retain weapons, form separate military bloc Explosion kills at least 6 in Syria's Idlib A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A senior official in northeast Syria's (Rojava) administration on Friday warned that recent violence in Suwayda has exposed the dangers of the existing military structure in the country and this 'complicates' plans for Kurdish-led forces to integrate into the national army. 'The lack of a transparent military structure' in Syria, especially following violence in Alawite regions on the coast and in the southern Druze-majority province of Suwayda, 'complicates the possibility of integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces into its military structure,' Elham Ahmad, foreign relations co-chair of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), was quoted as saying by Rojava's ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD). Rojava is in talks with Damascus about integrating into federal institutions, including the armed forces. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is the de facto army of Rojava. Syria's interim government is working to establish a unified army, bringing under state control and centralized command the multiple armed groups that had fought against the former regime. The SDF wants to join the army as 'a bloc,' spokesperson Farhad Shami told Syria's Alyaum TV on Wednesday. 'Handing over weapons is a red line. It is not possible to hand over weapons.' The Syrian government has rejected this demand, a senior source from Damascus told state-run al-Ikhbariya TV on Thursday. The source dismissed attempts to 'use the events in Suwayda or the coast to justify refusing to align under the state's banner,' saying such arguments 'reflect blatant attempts to incite public opinion and distort the facts.' Clashes erupted in Suwayda on July 13 between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes. Syrian state forces were deployed to the province. The violence drew Israeli intervention in support of the Druze, with strikes targeting Syrian state forces and the defense ministry building in Damascus. At least 1,300 people have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. A ceasefire - brokered by Washington - was announced on Saturday by US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack and appears to be holding. Ahmad warned that 'hate speech' is fueling 'sectarian conflict.' "What has unfolded in southern Syria in recent days represents a true humanitarian catastrophe, as the struggle for power has transformed into a sectarian conflict. This is a result of the direct hate speech and incitement practiced by some media outlets, which play a dangerous role in fueling hatred and inflaming hostility toward an integral component of the Syrian people," she said. Damascus has come under fire for its response to the clashes. Barrack said the government should be held accountable. The European Union on Thursday condemned the violence and called for a 'transparent, credible and impartial investigation, and for all perpetrators of grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law to be held accountable and brought to justice - including with the support of relevant international mechanisms.' There are reports that SDF commander Mazloum Abdi arrived in Paris on Wednesday for France-mediated talks with Syrian authorities. Sources later disputed the reports, citing tensions with Damascus, and suggested the meeting had been postponed. Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has pledged to form an 'inclusive transitional government that would reflect Syria's diversity,' but he faces criticism from both domestic and international actors who say he has marginalized minority communities. Kurdish leaders have repeatedly expressed concern over the centralization of power and the prominence of Islamic law in the transitional constitution adopted by the interim government. They have denied accusations of desiring to separate and instead call for federalism. 'The unity of Syrian territory is a foregone conclusion, and decentralization is a fundamental requirement for the autonomous administration,' said Ahmad.
Asharq Al-Awsat
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
SDF Responds to ISIS Attacks in Eastern Syria
Suspected ISIS cells have escalated their activities in eastern Syria's Deir Ezzor province, staging a series of attacks on security posts and imposing extortion fees on local residents, sources said on Thursday. Military, security, and civil sources in northeastern Syria said ISIS remnants launched coordinated assaults in recent days, including a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on a security center in the town of Diban, marking one of the most intense waves of violence in the area since the start of the year. 'The cells have become increasingly active, with suspicious movements observed following multiple attacks on checkpoints and security facilities,' one local source said. 'They are using intimidation tactics and extorting civilians.' In a statement on Thursday, the Internal Security Forces, known as Asayish, confirmed that one of their centers in Diban, located in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, was attacked late Wednesday night. 'ISIS-affiliated militants on motorbikes launched an RPG and opened fire on our post in Diban,' the statement said. Although ISIS lost its territorial control in Syria in 2019, sleeper cells continue to operate in remote desert areas, targeting security forces and civilians in ambushes and hit-and-run attacks. Farhad Shami, head of the Syrian Democratic Forces' media center, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Diban attack was one of two coordinated strikes carried out by ISIS-linked cells. 'In the first incident, ISIS fighters used medium-range weapons and rocket-propelled grenades against an Asayish checkpoint in Diban,' Shami said. 'Our forces quickly intervened and fought back, forcing the cell to withdraw.' In a second attack, militants targeted an SDF military vehicle in the nearby town of Jadid Akidat, also in eastern Deir Ezzor, firing an RPG and small-arms rounds at the patrol, Shami said. 'The response was immediate. Our units unleashed heavy fire on the attackers, compelling them to retreat, leaving several of their members wounded,' he added. A United Nations report published in July last year estimated the number of ISIS fighters in Syria at between 3,000 and 5,000, many of whom are believed to be hiding in the rugged terrain between Syria and Iraq. The group's enduring presence has raised concerns among regional authorities and international observers about a potential resurgence, particularly in areas where security forces are stretched thin.
Shafaq News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
SDF slams appointment of US-sanctioned rebel leader
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) condemned the appointment of a former armed group commander accused of war crimes to a senior military post under the Syrian Interim government, calling it a move that legitimizes impunity. Ahmad al-Hays, also known as Abu Hatim Shaqra, was named commander of the 86th Division in eastern Syria despite being under US sanctions since 2021 for human rights violations, including the assassination of Kurdish politician Hevrin Khalaf. SDF Media Center Director Farhad Shami stated on X that 'Shaqra belongs behind bars, not in official institutions,' referencing his alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings, torture, and abuse of detainees, particularly women. إن تعيين المجرمين أمثال "أبو حاتم شقرا" وغيره في أماكن حساسة في سوريا الجديدة خطوة سلبية وغير مقبولة ومن شأنها تلويث مؤسسات الدولة.المجرم "أبو حاتم شقرا" الذي ارتكب الكثير من الجرائم بما فيها جريمة اغتيال الشهيدة هفرين خلف مكانه خلف القضبان وليس المؤسسات الرسمية، وعلى المعنيين… — Farhad Shami (@farhad_shami) May 6, 2025 Shaqra currently holds a command post in the Liberation and Construction Movement, a faction within the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). He previously led Ahrar al-Sharqiya, a hardline group with members linked to former fighters from ISIS, Ahrar al-Sham, and Jabhat al-Nusra. The Syrian rights group Teazur (Synergy) also condemned the decision, calling it 'an attempt to legitimize criminal behavior' and warning it undermines accountability in opposition-held areas. Synergy Association for Victims strongly condemned the recent military appointments made by the Syrian transitional government within the ranks of the newly formed 'Syrian National Army.' The appointments include individuals listed on international sanctions lists and accused of… — تآزر - Synergy (@HevdestiSynergy) May 7, 2025 This is not the first controversial appointment by the Syrian Interim government. In August 2023, it promoted Mohammad al-Jassem (Abu Amsha), another US-sanctioned figure, to lead the 62nd Division in Hama, granting him the rank of brigadier general. Abu Amsha is accused of forced displacement of Kurds, property seizures, financial extortion, and serious violations including rape and arbitrary detention.
