The Kurds of Northern Syria: Governance, Diversity and Conflicts

Description

Based on unprecedented access to Kurdish-governed areas of Syria, including exclusive interviews with administration officials and civilian surveys, this book sheds light on the socio-political landscape of this minority group and the various political factions vying to speak for them. The first English-language book to capture the momentous transformations that have occurred since 2011, the authors move beyond idealized images of Rojava and the Kurdish PYD (Democratic Union Party) to provide a nuanced assessment of the Kurdish autonomous experience and the prospects for self-rule in Syria. The book draws on unparalleled field research, as well as analysis of the literature on the evolution of Kurdish politics and the Syrian war. You will understand why the PYD-led project in Syria split the Kurdish political movement and how other representative structures amongst Syria's Kurds fared. Emerging clearly are the complex range of views about pre-existing, current and future governance structures. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Acknowledgements Maps Note on Transliteration and Bibliographic Referencing Bibliographic References List of Acronyms and Abbreviations Introduction Method and fieldwork Clarifications and definitions Chapter 1: Identity and Representation I: Foundations of Identity Formation and Representation The demography of governance Key influences on Kurdish identity formation State building and legitimacy Tribal and local sub-state identities and channels of representation Pan-state identity International class solidarity Religion Pan-state Kurdish identity Politics and political identity The effects of the crisis on identity Chapter 2: Kurdish Political Parties: A Comparison of Political Values Parties of 1957 and the KNC The political spectrum and fragmentation The dominant parties of the 1957 genealogy The KNC KNC policy and internal divisions Military organizations KNC alliances and affiliations within Syria The PYD Armed forces PYD alliances and affiliations within Syria Cooperation and disagreement between the PYD and KNC A comparison of political values Democracy and the individual National and ethnic rights Women’s rights The future of Syria Chapter 3: PYD-led Governance Structures: From DAAs to Federalism The development of ‘democratic autonomy’: From the PYD to a federal region in under five years Power structures and constituent parts Local DAA governance Councils and communes The economy The education system Media The security of the administrations The Asayish The YPG Self-Defence Forces and Civil Defence Forces Other military forces Salaries The move towards federalism Local obstacles to DAA control and federalism Ethnic and political diversity KNC–PYD tensions and political opposition A new state structure? Chapter 4: Identity and Representation II: The Democratic Autonomy Project Direct democracy in practice Transformations in identity and understandings of representation, 2011–2016 Women’s representation A revolution in representation? Opinions about the system Chapter 5: The Role of Regional and International Actors Intra-Kurdish power relations Regional relations Turkey Iraq The Syrian government Iran International relations The United States Russia Chapter 6: The Prospects of Kurdish Self-Representation and Self-Governance The state context: Representation and identity The northern Syria context Kurdish society Uncertainty Bibliography Organisations/think tanks (online) Political party publications IIST Interviews Anonymous interviews Index