Syria: “Why Syria’s Kurds Will Determine the Fate of the Revolution”

In his latest article for the New Republic, Michael Weiss discusses the place of the Kurdish minority within the Syrian revolution and their importance in ensuring the revolution is successful. Weiss notes that the Kurds joined the revolution early and make up anywhere between 15-20 percent of Syria’s population. Nonetheless, Weiss notes that the Kurdish community is frustrated with their representation on the Syrian National Council and that “many Kurds feel underrepresented in the SNC’s General Assembly, or its parliamentary base.”

Furthermore, Weiss argues that only with Kurdish support “will the SNC will be capable of earning the allegiance of a critical mass of the Syrian population.” That being said, Weiss notes that during Burhan Ghalioun’s speech, his statement that “Syria’s new constitution…will protect minorities and their rights, including the Kurds, who have suffered discrimination” was an important statement that should not go overlooked. Weiss stresses the need for the SNC to give more “concrete reassurances including increased representation in all decision-making bodies and the speedy drafting of a provisional constitution that would spell out, in no uncertain terms, what the Kurds can expect in the post-Assad era. Here’s where the U.S. State Department, rather than the Turkish Foreign Ministry, ought to lead from the front.”