30th October 2019
Musings.......
Kurds
The Kurds are an Iranian ethnic group native to mountainous regions of Western Asia known as Kurdistan which includes Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Northern Syria. Hence we can see that the Kurds do not have a state of their own. Estimates give their population between 30 and 45 million.
Majority of Kurds belong to Sunni Islam sect but many also belong to Shia Islam, Alevism, Yazidism ( Nadia Murad fame ) Yarsanism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity.
Kurds have an autonomous region in Iraq named Kurdistan region. The Kurds speak Kurdish the native language besides language of their native origin like Arabic, Persian and Turkish.
The Kurdish Nationalist movement emerged after World War I with the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire which had integrated the Kurds through use of
force and repression.
Present situation -
Turkey- The Kurds have formed the Kurdistan Workers Party ( PKK) a militant organisation which fights the Turkish Government for cultural and political rights. The UN has refused to designate the PKK as a terrorist organisation while Turkey does.
Iran- The issue of Kurdish nationalism is not prevalent among the Shia Kurds, who prefer direct rule of Tehran, while the Sunni dominated regions in periphery question Iranian National identity of Kurds.
Iraq- Iraqi Kurds comprise 17% of its population. Following Kurdish uprising of 1991 the Kurds established Kurdistan Regional Government ( KRG). Their military force is called Pashmerga and have effective control of Kirkuk and parts of Mosul.
Syria- Kurds account for 9% of the population, the largest ethnic minority of the country. They mostly occupy the northern parts of Syria around the Turkey border. They have formed the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and is primary component of the Syrian Democratic Force (SDF). A sister group, the Women’s Protection Unit ( YPJ) fights along with them.
Armenia- Armenian Kurds are an ethnic minority while it was a part of the Soviet Union and still has presence as minority though not significant.
Kurds have been in news recently for their involvement in Syria in curbing and fighting against the Islamic State.
In The Syrian civil war that started eight years ago, various factions vied to control Syria. Among them were the People’s Protection Unit (YPG).
When the Islamic State ( IS) started gaining control of large territory in Iraq and Syria, the Obama administration got involved in the Syrian crisis. The YPG became America’s ally in the region.
The Kurdish YPG gained ground and forced ISIS out of Northern Syria- they also assumed the governance of the land it captured. It got control of most of Northern Syria bordering Turkey.
Since the offshoot of Kurds in Turkey - the Kurdistan Workers Party ( PKK ) is a terrorist organisation to the Government there; turkey considers the YPG as an extension of PKK in Syria. Turkey finds Kurdish control of an area so close to its border as a major security threat.
This situation put USA in a dilemma as Turkey was a NATO ally and on the other hand was the YPG that fought alongside USA against the ISIS.
Obama administration tried to play down the Turkish connection of YPG by changing their name and enlist more non- Kurdish fighters. The group is now called Syrian Democratic Forces( SDF).
Recently however there was a sudden shift in the American policy. Trump administration had for long wanted to withdraw forces from Syria as it was one of President Trump’s election promise. Facing an impending reelection in 2020, on October 6th he ordered American forces to withdraw from the Syrian- Turkey border.
Turkey immediately launched an offensive into Syria to push back the Kurds away from its border. It captured almost 75 miles into Syrian territory previously held by Kurds, over a weekend.
The Syrian Government of Bashir Al Assad also benefitted when Kurdish authorities allowed Syrian Government troops to return to large parts of Northern Syria where they had no presence for more than half a decade.
Turkish President Raccep Tayyip Erdorgan and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Black Sea town of Sochi and subsequent Russian troops also enter where Americans left.
Iran too expanded its influence in the region.
Sensing loss of heft, Trump seems to have backtracked from his earlier stand and now the American withdrawal remains partial.
Rojava
The Northern Syria or the region now in hands of Turkey is called by Kurds as Rojava. Turkey had plans of creating a Safe Zone, a buffer zone in the region governed jointly by Turkish- Syrian and Russian forces but it did not materialise.
This region till recently was under the control of the Kurds.
The Constitution of Rojava guarantee cultural, religious and political freedom of all people. They believe in libertarian socialism, a cooperative economy, direct democracy with ethnic minority protected by rights.
Special mention should be given to the social revolution in Rojava giving credit to Feminism and Jineology ( The science of Women). Much focus has been given to women who have endured extreme levels of violence in the region. Some steps taken include banning of child marriages, honor killings, establishment of Women’s houses and developing women leadership among YPG.
Major points to take home from all this include the resistance shown by the Kurdish people when confronted with extreme adversity. The fact that for generations the Kurds have survived without a nation state of their own is testimony of the unfairness of history.
Like pawns in a chessboard we can see International opportunist politics in full display.
Opportunism of Americans is well established and they have once again proved that they cannot be trusted.
Russia and Turkey seized the opportunity and cannot be blamed for they just acted based on realpolitik.
What remains is the poor Kurds who fought valiantly to destroy the Islamic State( IS ) in the region, the aftermath of which was the subsequent killing of their leader Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi, by USA yesterday.
It remains to be seen if the Kurds find justice. Only time will tell.
Food for Thought.......
RC
rohitchennithala.blogspot.com
rohitchennithala.home.blog
Kurds
The Kurds are an Iranian ethnic group native to mountainous regions of Western Asia known as Kurdistan which includes Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Northern Syria. Hence we can see that the Kurds do not have a state of their own. Estimates give their population between 30 and 45 million.
Majority of Kurds belong to Sunni Islam sect but many also belong to Shia Islam, Alevism, Yazidism ( Nadia Murad fame ) Yarsanism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity.
Kurds have an autonomous region in Iraq named Kurdistan region. The Kurds speak Kurdish the native language besides language of their native origin like Arabic, Persian and Turkish.
The Kurdish Nationalist movement emerged after World War I with the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire which had integrated the Kurds through use of
force and repression.
Present situation -
Turkey- The Kurds have formed the Kurdistan Workers Party ( PKK) a militant organisation which fights the Turkish Government for cultural and political rights. The UN has refused to designate the PKK as a terrorist organisation while Turkey does.
Iran- The issue of Kurdish nationalism is not prevalent among the Shia Kurds, who prefer direct rule of Tehran, while the Sunni dominated regions in periphery question Iranian National identity of Kurds.
Iraq- Iraqi Kurds comprise 17% of its population. Following Kurdish uprising of 1991 the Kurds established Kurdistan Regional Government ( KRG). Their military force is called Pashmerga and have effective control of Kirkuk and parts of Mosul.
Syria- Kurds account for 9% of the population, the largest ethnic minority of the country. They mostly occupy the northern parts of Syria around the Turkey border. They have formed the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and is primary component of the Syrian Democratic Force (SDF). A sister group, the Women’s Protection Unit ( YPJ) fights along with them.
Armenia- Armenian Kurds are an ethnic minority while it was a part of the Soviet Union and still has presence as minority though not significant.
Kurds have been in news recently for their involvement in Syria in curbing and fighting against the Islamic State.
In The Syrian civil war that started eight years ago, various factions vied to control Syria. Among them were the People’s Protection Unit (YPG).
When the Islamic State ( IS) started gaining control of large territory in Iraq and Syria, the Obama administration got involved in the Syrian crisis. The YPG became America’s ally in the region.
The Kurdish YPG gained ground and forced ISIS out of Northern Syria- they also assumed the governance of the land it captured. It got control of most of Northern Syria bordering Turkey.
Since the offshoot of Kurds in Turkey - the Kurdistan Workers Party ( PKK ) is a terrorist organisation to the Government there; turkey considers the YPG as an extension of PKK in Syria. Turkey finds Kurdish control of an area so close to its border as a major security threat.
This situation put USA in a dilemma as Turkey was a NATO ally and on the other hand was the YPG that fought alongside USA against the ISIS.
Obama administration tried to play down the Turkish connection of YPG by changing their name and enlist more non- Kurdish fighters. The group is now called Syrian Democratic Forces( SDF).
Recently however there was a sudden shift in the American policy. Trump administration had for long wanted to withdraw forces from Syria as it was one of President Trump’s election promise. Facing an impending reelection in 2020, on October 6th he ordered American forces to withdraw from the Syrian- Turkey border.
Turkey immediately launched an offensive into Syria to push back the Kurds away from its border. It captured almost 75 miles into Syrian territory previously held by Kurds, over a weekend.
The Syrian Government of Bashir Al Assad also benefitted when Kurdish authorities allowed Syrian Government troops to return to large parts of Northern Syria where they had no presence for more than half a decade.
Turkish President Raccep Tayyip Erdorgan and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Black Sea town of Sochi and subsequent Russian troops also enter where Americans left.
Iran too expanded its influence in the region.
Sensing loss of heft, Trump seems to have backtracked from his earlier stand and now the American withdrawal remains partial.
Rojava
The Northern Syria or the region now in hands of Turkey is called by Kurds as Rojava. Turkey had plans of creating a Safe Zone, a buffer zone in the region governed jointly by Turkish- Syrian and Russian forces but it did not materialise.
This region till recently was under the control of the Kurds.
The Constitution of Rojava guarantee cultural, religious and political freedom of all people. They believe in libertarian socialism, a cooperative economy, direct democracy with ethnic minority protected by rights.
Special mention should be given to the social revolution in Rojava giving credit to Feminism and Jineology ( The science of Women). Much focus has been given to women who have endured extreme levels of violence in the region. Some steps taken include banning of child marriages, honor killings, establishment of Women’s houses and developing women leadership among YPG.
Major points to take home from all this include the resistance shown by the Kurdish people when confronted with extreme adversity. The fact that for generations the Kurds have survived without a nation state of their own is testimony of the unfairness of history.
Like pawns in a chessboard we can see International opportunist politics in full display.
Opportunism of Americans is well established and they have once again proved that they cannot be trusted.
Russia and Turkey seized the opportunity and cannot be blamed for they just acted based on realpolitik.
What remains is the poor Kurds who fought valiantly to destroy the Islamic State( IS ) in the region, the aftermath of which was the subsequent killing of their leader Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi, by USA yesterday.
It remains to be seen if the Kurds find justice. Only time will tell.
Food for Thought.......
RC
rohitchennithala.blogspot.com
rohitchennithala.home.blog
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