SUMMARY
The Kurds in Syria live mainly in the areas close to the borders to Iraq and Turkey, in the provinces of Aleppo and al-Hasakah. In Syria they have long been repressed and discriminated against. Many are denied citizenship and thus also the rights of ownership, possessing a passport, voting, holding political offices and having marriages recognized under the law. The use of the Kurdish language has also been heavily restricted.
When the popular uprising against President Bashar al-Assad started, traditional Kurdish political actors largely chose to stay out, fearing the regimes response should they join the opposition. There was also an element of bitterness since earlier Kurdish protests had received little Arab support, even in the face of harsh regime responses. While some Kurds did join the opposition, many further felt that the opposition was too Arab nationalist, and/or Islamist in orientation. Many also considered it too reliant on Turkey. The government on its part wanted to avoid creating a new battle-front.
The Kurds have become more militarized, and PYD (Partiya Yektîya Demokrat, Democratic Union Party), one of the main Kurdish actors in Syria, has set up checkpoints, reportedly in order to protect the areas where the Kurdish population lives from armed non-Kurdish opposition groups. Moreover, PYD's relationship with other Kurdish actors has been tense, with clashes and harassment reported. Tensions have also erupted between the Kurds and the groups opposing the regime.
In mid-July 2013 northern Syria experienced increased violence between Kurdish actors and Islamists.
This violence occurred against a background of Islamist actors that have increased their influence in parts of Syria under rebel-control. Reporting indicated that the Islamists’ wishes to set up Islamic emirates collided with PYD ambitions to establish Kurdish governing structures. Control over border areas was also highlighted as an important contributing factor.
Following an attack by Jabhat Fateh al-Sham on a PYD unit on 16th July, violence broke out. On 23rd July, Islamist units stated their opposition to the Kurdish autonomy.
However, the present conflict between IS, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and PYD is active due to events taking place in August and September in al-Hasakah province.
Generally, distinguishing between different groups, and establishing which ones were included in a given event was frequently very challenging. In order to cope with the situation, one-sided and state-based violence uses the collective name “Syrian insurgents” to capture rebel violence. However, given the nature of the non-state category, this was impossible.
Hence the events included have been so on the basis of the information provided, and when information has been contradictory, events have not been included, unless very convincing contextual reasons were present to allow for an event’s attribution to a specific conflict. However, it should be emphasized that there is a level of uncertainty.
The non-state conflict between IS, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and PYD is first included in UCDP data in 2013. In August of that year violent clashes flared up in the al-Hasakah province, resulting in over 25 battle-related deaths.
