The Kurds in Syria: Strategic Importance and Ongoing Political Struggles

The Kurdish regions in Syria are known for their vast natural resources and significant strategic importance. The Kurdish population is spread across most of the border strip with Turkey, stretching from Derik in rural Hasakah, near the Kurdistan Region border, to Afrin in rural Aleppo. Some of the major Kurdish cities in Syria include Qamishli, Kobani, Afrin, and Ras al-Ain.

In 2016, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) took control of Manbij. They later expanded their hold over parts of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa with support from the U.S.-led coalition to drive out ISIS.

Since then, Turkey has viewed the growing Kurdish presence as a security threat. In response, Ankara launched Operation Euphrates Shield, claiming its goal was to recapture Jarabulus from ISIS while preventing the SDF from expanding its territories.

The Kurds make up more than 15% of Syria’s population, with most speaking the Kurmanji dialect of the Kurdish language. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) currently controls about 25% of Syrian territory, including most of the country’s oil fields. These areas, which also serve as Syria’s primary wheat-producing regions, contain the country’s three largest oil fields: Al-Suwaidiyah, Al-Milan, and Al-Omar. Additionally, ten other oil fields are spread across Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor.

The Syrian Kurds are demanding a share of oil revenues proportional to the lands they control. They are also pushing for constitutional recognition of Kurdish identity as Syria’s second nationality and for the Kurdish language to be granted official status. These demands are part of a broader push for the recognition of a Syrian Kurdistan region.

Hopes for Kurdish political unity rest on the Kurdish National Council (KNC), which was established in 2011 and includes around 15 political parties and factions. The KNC aims to reach an agreement with the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the SDF, with backing from both the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the United States.

Now, the new leadership under Ahmad al-Sharaa faces a historic responsibility after pledging to protect the rights of all of Syria’s communities.