Why the PKK has become overstretched in its quest for self-rule in Syria

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Series Details 08.03.18
Publication Date 08/03/2018
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After decades of fighting, the PKK in 2018 was in dire need of success to show Turkey’s Kurds that it had achieved something as tangible as self rule in Syria. Failing to do so would risk its political relevance in the eyes of the Kurdish constituency, which prompted its determination to be in control of developments in Northern Syria.

In the future, Kurds may acquiesce to sharing power with the Assad regime in Afrin rather than let the city fall to Turkish backed rebels. But in reality this would still mean the end of the Kurds’ dream of unification in northern Syria. When the dust settled, the loss of Afrin could mark yet another tragic sense of defeat for the Kurds.

PKK’s quest for self-rule there had led the group to scale up its activities in multiple settings. But its strategy of seeking a dominating role across Kurdistan territory over the past years had now reached its limits.

Source Link Link to Main Source https://theconversation.com/why-the-pkk-has-become-overstretched-in-its-quest-for-self-rule-in-syria-90355
Related Links
Istituto Affari Internazionali: IAI Working Papers No.24, June 2017: Syria's Impact on the Kurdish Peace Process in Turkey http://www.europeansources.info/record/syrias-impact-on-the-kurdish-peace-process-in-turkey/
ECFR: Policy Brief No.141, September 2015: Turkey, the Kurds and the fight against Islamic State http://www.europeansources.info/record/turkey-the-kurds-and-the-fight-against-islamic-state/
ECFR: Commentary 01.11.17: Kurdish referendum fallout threatens Western interests in the Middle East http://www.europeansources.info/record/kurdish-referendum-fallout-threatens-western-interests-in-the-middle-east/

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