While Syria is gripped in an extensive internal war, the Kurds in Syrian Kurdistan have the chance of fomenting their political status and attain their long awaited dream of self-rule. So far Kurds have wisely taken advantage of the circumstances to consolidate their political power in the Kurdish areas. We have already seen pragmatic steps being taken in building government institutions, electing municipal councils, establishing civil courts, commencing education in Kurdish and most importantly taking the security of the region into their own hands.
It is therefore noted that the Syrian Kurds political interest at this political juncture lies in a weak Assad regime and a weak opposition rebellion militia. So long as these two opposing forces are weak being engaged in their fierce fighting, Kurds will be able to further consolidate their political status laying the foundation for an autonomous Kurdish region similar to that of the Iraqi Kurdistan if not an independent Kurdish State.
This makes imperative that the Syria Kurds continue their current political stand in abstaining to join the rebel fighters aiming to overthrow the Assad regime. This even means to resist any foreign pressure impelled in direction of joining the widespread rebellion unless concrete guarantees are given that the Kurds will be able to run their region should the Assad regime collapse.
The Syrian Kurdistan Kurds can learn from the experience of their brethren in the Iraqi Kurdistan. The interests of the Iraqi Kurdistan Kurds lies in a weak central government until such times they become fully independent to protect themselves militarily from any Shia or Sunni led Iraqi government aggression.
After the downfall of Saddam’s regime, the Iraqi Kurds made significant contribution to establish peace between the belligerent Shia and Sunni Arabs in Iraq. This was even to the extent sending Peshmerga forces to Baghdad to maintain law and order and establish peace. However,www.ekurd.net
the Kurdish politicians were well aware of a potential backlash of central government militarily challenging the Iraqi Kurdistan’s gains and disputing the historical Kurdish areas classified as ‘disputed areas’ once it obtains sufficient military power . The creation of Dijla forces to enter the disputed areas leading to the current military standoff between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi Army is a well-documented proof.
In case of the Syrian Kurdistan we have already seen parts of the Syrian opposition militia fighters fighting the Kurds to strip them off the power they have gained. Fierce fighting has been reported in the Kurdish town of Sarekani (Ras-al-Ain) which is strategically an important area for the opposition fighters to control and expand further into the rest of the Kurdish region.
Therefore, the Syrian Kurds require investing on the current political and security upheaval in Syria and concentrate on consolidating their political and military power in the Kurdish region rather than engaging in fighting with the Assad forces in the non-Kurdish areas. Their strong political and military domination in the Syrian Kurdistan will leave the prospective Syrian opposition government with no choice but to recognise the Kurdish political reality.
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