Turkey’s Kurdish Question Extends to Syria
The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is struggling with whether its interests are better served by jihadists or Kurdish groups controlling areas of northern Syria.
The Ceylanpinar border crossing between Turkey and Syria is located within the Sanliurfa province. Adjacent to the Ceylanpinar border crossing is the Syrian town of Ras al-Ain, written "Rasulayn" in Turkish. Historically, Ceylanpinar was an adjunct of Rasulayn. In Ottoman times, Ceylanpinar was administered from Rasulayn, then in 1921 the border between Turkey and Syria was demarcated along the railroad track. Ceylanpinar became part of Turkey and Ras al-Ain a part of Syria.
Perhaps the best way to describe how these two towns were once one is to use their Kurdish names: Ceylanpinar becomes "Serekani," and Ras al-Ain "Serekaniye.”
Today, Ceylanpinar's mayor, now serving his second successive term, is Ismail Arslan from the Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), which is best described as the "unarmed PKK."
Since July 19, the flag of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the most powerful Kurdish movement in Syria, has been flying over the Rasulayn border crossing. According to reports in Turkish newspapers, the flag of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) that used to be there was replaced by the PYD flag. The simplest way to describe the PYD is the "PKK in Syria."
