Damascus, Ankara and Washington against Kurdish federal model, which appeals to intellectuals and activists
Syrian-Kurdish groups plan to set up a federal system in northern Syria, a move rejected by the Syrian government. Turkey too is opposed to an autonomous Kurdish enclave on its borders. For a Kurdish activist, this “is the only plausible solution” to preserve diversity and territorial integrity. For Ambassador Barzani, it is a “workable model for Iraq”.
Damascus (AsiaNews) – The United States, Turkey and the Syrian government have categorically rejected the idea of a federal Kurdish region in Syria, viewing it as a threat to Syria’s unity and territorial integrity.
Yet, for many political leaders and intellectuals, a federal solution appears the only one apt to save the country’s unity whilst ensuring that each of its group enjoys autonomy and freedom.
The Kurds already operate "autonomous administrations" in three enclaves bordering Turkey - Afrin and Kobane (Ayn al-Arab) in Aleppo governorate and Jazira in al-Hasakah governorate.
The new Kurdish federal entity would also include Turkmen and Arab-majority areas seized by Kurdish fighters from the Islamic state (IS) group in recent weeks.
Before the war, the Kurds represented 7-10 per cent of the Syrian population, which in 2011 stood at around 24.5 million people.
Despite violence and repression from the Baa’th regime, the Kurds did not take a clear position at the beginning of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Since then, Kurdish People's Protection Units (Kurdish: Yekîneyên Parastina Gel, YPG) have seized a large chunk of territory in northern Syria.
On several occasions, Kurdish leaders have stressed that they are not seeking independence from Syria, but only a "local democratic administration" within a federal framework. Arabic-speaking communities and Assyrian Christians living within such a federal entity have resisted the idea.
Bashar al-Jaafari, chief negotiator for the Assad regime at the UN-sponsored indirect Geneva talks, rejected the idea on behalf of his government.
Turkey too is opposed to the idea, concerned that an autonomous enclave on its border could further fuel Kurdish irredentism in Turkey itself.
The United States announced that it would not recognise nor support any Kurdish attempt to create a Kurdish federal region within Syria. If a federal system has to emerge, it has to be part of the peace process.
Still, among Kurdish diplomatic and intellectual circles, in both Syria and Iraq, the federal model is seen as the only viable solution to ensure autonomy and governance, whilst maintain the territorial integrity of these states.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Salem Hassan, a Syrian-Kurdish activist based in Paris, and a former leader of Syria’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (Kurdish: Partiya Demokrat a Kurdistanê, PDK), said that "the federal system is the only plausible solution. It is a great model, and the Kurds want it for all Syrians, not only for themselves".
There are "so many ethnic groups, religions, languages" in the country, the activist noted. “For this reason, the federal system is the best strategy to counter extremist tendencies and separatism.”
Despite what regional states and international powers may say, or the veto they may want to impose, “It is the only proposal capable of bringing peace and tranquillity to the Syrian people as a whole."
"In the north, independent administrations are already in place, and the federation is not only for the Kurds, but for everyone: Alawis, Sunnis, Shiites, Assyrians. Of course, such a system must be built through the law, not war and weapons, so that we can find a way to live together."
Saywan S. Barzani, Iraqi ambassador to the Netherlands and nephew of Massoud Barzani, president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, agrees.
"I believe that federalism is a system that gives rights to everyone,” the diplomat told AsiaNews, “and it works in different parts of the world. Just think of Canada, or the Swiss Confederation . . . At present, there are few models of centralised nations, and they no longer work.”
For Barzani, it is up to the Syrian people to decide whether they want a federal system or not. However, he considers it an optimal and workable model for Iraq, because it "gives power to all groups" and cuts down on the "red tape and slowness" that are typical of centralised systems.
"Just look at Kurdistan,” the ambassador said. “Thanks to autonomy and the federal system, it has made great strides since the 1990s."
.png)
