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- Kurdish authorities have made overtures to Islamist-led militants who seized power in Syria last week
QAMISHLI: Kurdish authorities have made overtures to Islamist-led militants who seized power in Syria last week, but the long-oppressed community fears it could lose hard-won gains it made during the war, including limited self-rule.
The Kurds faced discrimination during more than 50 years of Assad family rule. They were barred, for example, from offering education in their own language.
As militants led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) seized power, ousting president Bashar Assad, the Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria have multiplied overtures to the new leaders, like adopting the three-starred flag used by the opposition.
Mutlu Civiroglu, a Washington-based analyst and expert on the Kurds, said that the fate of Syria鈥檚 Kurdish authorities 鈥渞emains uncertain,鈥� noting 鈥渢he rapidly shifting dynamics on the ground.鈥�
Syria鈥檚 Kurds face 鈥渕ounting pressure from the Turkish government and factions under its control,鈥� he said, as Ankara-backed fighters seized two Kurdish-held areas in the north during the militant offensive.
Last week, Mazloum Abdi who heads the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) welcomed 鈥渁n opportunity to build a new Syria based on democracy and justice that guarantees the rights of all Syrians.鈥�
But many in the northeast are concerned about the future of their autonomous region.
鈥淭he factions in Damascus... don鈥檛 recognize the Kurds, and now they want to whitewash their image in front of the international community,鈥� Ali Darwish, a Kurdish resident of the northeastern city of Qamishli told AFP.
鈥淏ut we hope that we, as Kurds, will be able to preserve our areas and improve the economic situation,鈥� the 58-year-old said.
鈥淲e hope for positive solutions in the future.鈥�
Minority groups suffered during the civil war that broke out in 2011, particularly after the Islamic State (IS) group overran large parts of the country three years later.
HTS, the Islamist group that led the offensive that toppled Assad, is rooted in Syria鈥檚 branch of Al-Qaeda and is proscribed as a terrorist organization by many Western governments, though it has sought to moderate its rhetoric.
The SDF spearheaded the fight that defeated IS jihadists in Syria in 2019 with US backing 鈥� putting Washington at odds with NATO ally Ankara, which has operated militarily against the Kurds.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the SDF was 鈥渃ritical鈥� to preventing a resurgence of IS jihadists in Syria following Assad鈥檚 ouster.
On the same day, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin visited Damascus and Ankara named a new chief of mission for its long-closed embassy in Damascus, which it has pledged to reopen.
Civiroglu said that 鈥淪yrian Kurds face several significant challenges, the most pressing of which is Turkiye鈥檚 ongoing hostility toward them.鈥�
Since 2016, Turkiye has staged multiple operations against the SDF.
Ankara views the People鈥檚 Protection Units (YPG), a key part of the SDF, as an extension of the banned Kurdish militants who have fought a decades-long insurgency inside Turkiye.
鈥淎ll Turkish attacks and threats against the Kurds are seen as directly or indirectly aimed at undermining Kurdish autonomy and expanding Turkish control in northern Syria,鈥� Civiroglu said.
On the ground, fighters of Syria鈥檚 new government have taken over the eastern city of Deir Ezzor from Kurdish-led forces, who had briefly moved in as government troops and their Iran-backed allies withdrew.
Syria鈥檚 new leaders have said repeatedly that religious minorities will not be harmed under their rule, but they have not mentioned ethnic minorities like the Kurds.
In Qamishli, residents told AFP they were glad Assad was ousted, but had mounting concerns.
Kurds, who represent the largest ethnic minority in Syria, want a 鈥渄emocratic state that respects everyone鈥檚 rights and religion,鈥� said Khorshed Abo Rasho, 68.
鈥淲e want a federal state, not a dictatorship,鈥� he added.
Fahd Dawoud, a 40-year-old lawyer, was hopeful that an inclusive government can be formed.
鈥淲e hope that the new government will represent all Syrians and won鈥檛 exclude any party,鈥� he said.