The Struggle for Syrian Kurdistan
Al-Monitor covers Syrian Kurdistan, the rebel siege of Aleppo, maids in Saudi Arabia and the Iraqi sex trade.
Turkey’s Troubles in Syrian Kurdistan
The leading Syrian Kurdish group, the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which is close to the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) of Turkey, has proposed an autonomy plan for governance in the Kurdish held areas of Syria, reports Wladimir van Wilgenburg for Al-Monitor.
At this stage, the autonomy idea may as yet be an aspiration and a feint toward Kurdish unity. PYD leaders claim they are not seeking to break from Syria. The plan would include a referendum and elections to be held in the next three months.
Given the war and collapse of state structures in Syria, the Kurdish region of Syria has become a contested arena for both Kurdish national aspirations and regional intrigue. It is especially a concern of Turkey in its dealings with the PKK.
