Kurdistan Region–Syria relations

Kurdistan Region–Syria relations are bilateral relations between Kurdistan Region[1] and Syria. Kurdistan Region and Syria are neighbors, but Kurdistan Region only borders PYD-held Rojava since the Syrian civil war. Kurdistan Region and Syria share two border-crossings,[2] and 208,574 Syrian refugees lived in Kurdistan Region in February 2021.[3]

Kurdistan Region-Syria relations

Syria
Kurdistan Region

History

Due to the strained relations between Syria and Iraq under Hafez al-Assad and Saddam Hussein respectively, Assad supported Kurdish rebels in Northern Iraq as they fought Iraqi forces. In 1975, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan was established in Damascus by Jalal Talabani and the Syrian regime established formal ties with Kurdistan Democratic Party in 1979, as Idris Barzani visited Damascus. Damascus tried to unite the various Iraqi Kurdish fractions against the Iraqi regime and offices for both parties were opened in Qamishli.[4]

When the Syrian civil war reached the Kurdish areas of North Syria in 2012, President of Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani gathered the various Kurdish factions of Syria in Erbil to unite them against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.[5] Many Syrian soldiers of Kurdish origin deserted at the early stages of the Syrian civil war and fled to Kurdistan Region to form "Rojava Peshmerga" which is funded by Kurdistan Region.[6] Kurdish Foreign Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir stated that: "We want to a see a democratic and representative government in Damascus, and the opposition must take into consideration the recognition, rights and future of all the minority groups."[7] In 2015, Syrian MP Sharif Shahada visited Erbil, where he mentioned that Barzani declined to visit Damascus back in 2011.[8] Responding to the Kurdistan Region's independence referendum in September 2017, Syrian MP Riyaz Taus stated that Syria did not support the referendum, because it was a unilateral decision without Baghdad's consent.[9] Advisor to the Council of Ministers Said Azzouz also echoed that any unilateral action will be rejected and that Syria cannot accept the division of Iraq. Furthermore, he stated that independence needed legal provisions from the Iraqi constitution.[10]

In August 2017, Syrian Minister for Tourism Bishr Yaziji visited Erbil to strengthen tourism ties.[11]

See also

References
  1. While Kurdistan Region refers to the autonomous Kurdish region in Northern Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan is a geographical term referring to the Kurdish area of Iraq
  2. "Business booming in Rojava after outlet opened with Kurdistan Region". Kurdistan24. 22 April 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  3. "Syria Regional Refugee Response". UNCHR. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  4. McMurray, edited by David; Ufheil-Somers, Amanda (2013). The Arab revolts : dispatches on militant democracy in the Middle East. Bloomington: Indiana Univ Press. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-253-00975-3.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  5. "Barzani Unites Syrian Kurds Against Assad". Al-Monitor. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  6. "Syrian Kurdish women join Peshmerga". Kurdistan24. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  7. "Minister Falah Mustafa: Kurdish unity in Syria is of paramount importance". Department of Foreign Relations - Kurdistan Regional Government. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  8. "Syria 'No future' for Kurdish forces in Syria, says lammaker close to Assad". Rudaw. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  9. "Syrian MP on Kurdish independence: Damascus seeks Arab unity". Rudaw. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  10. "مسؤول سوري: عملية استقلال إقليم كوردستان تحتاج إلى نصوص قانونية في الدستور". Rudaw. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  11. "Syrian minister to visit Kurdistan Region in bid to boost tourism ties". Rudaw. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.

Further reading
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