Support for a federal system has grown, especially after last month’s massacres of more than 800 Alawite civilians, which have raised concerns among the country’s minority groups. Several Kurdish groups are now accusing Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and his Islamist government of taking the country in the wrong direction and trying to seize power.
Rival Kurdish parties have set aside their differences and agreed on a common political stance — with regional autonomy at its core. The plan has not yet been made public.
During the 14-year-long civil war, Kurdish-led forces took control of roughly a quarter of Syria. Three months after the fall of the Assad regime, the Kurdish militia SDF signed an agreement with the new central authority — Kurdish civil and military institutions would be integrated into the state’s structure. The Kurdish groups support the agreement, but have also strongly criticized how Syria’s Islamist leadership is handling the transition from Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship. They argue that promises of diversity and inclusion are not being fulfilled.
Badran Jia Kurd, a senior representative of the Kurdish-led administration, told Reuters that all Kurdish groups have now united around a “common political vision” that emphasizes the need for “a federal, pluralistic, and democratic parliamentary system.” This is the first time a representative has openly confirmed the desire to implement a federal political system since the agreement was signed with the regime in March.
President al-Sharaa has opposed a federal system and stated in an interview with The Economist in January that it lacks popular support and is not in Syria’s interest.
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