By: Dr. Adnan Bozan

The Kurdish issue in Syria is one of the most complex and sensitive matters in the Syrian political landscape, with deep roots in the region’s political and social history. It is not merely a matter of individual rights or legal equality but rather the issue of a people living on their historical land, demanding recognition of their national identity and their long-marginalized political and cultural rights. Since the establishment of modern Syria, Kurds in the country have faced systematic marginalization and exclusion, ranging from the revocation of citizenship for tens of thousands in the 1960s to demographic engineering policies targeting their regions, in addition to restrictions on the Kurdish language and culture.

However, there is significant ambiguity in the terminology used when discussing this issue. Some attempt to reduce it to a matter of equal citizenship rights, disregarding the fact that the Kurdish issue extends beyond this framework to a deeper political dimension, as it is inherently linked to the question of land, people, and national identity. It also involves the Kurds’ right to self-determination within a state that ensures justice and pluralism. While the new Syrian official discourse and some opposition factions insist on framing it as a matter of integration within a centralized state, Kurds see it as a national and ethnic issue that requires fair political solutions recognizing their distinct identity as an indigenous people entitled to freely practice their culture and heritage.

First: The Difference Between Civil Rights and the Political Issue

Some argue that Kurds in Syria, like other communities, seek only equal citizenship rights within the Syrian state. However, this perspective oversimplifies the problem and strips it of its true essence. The Kurdish issue is not limited to demands for civil or cultural rights; it extends to the recognition of Kurdish national identity, acknowledgment of the historical injustices Kurds have suffered in Syria, and the pursuit of a political solution that guarantees their national and ethnic rights.

While the demands of other Syrian communities—such as Christians, Ismailis, Circassians, Syriacs, Assyrians, Alawites, and Druze—mainly focus on ensuring equal rights within the legal framework of the state, Kurds present their case as that of a people living on their historical land, which has been marginalized and excluded within modern Syria. This distinction makes their issue fundamentally different from a simple integration into a centralized state.> Second: Kurds in Syria—A People with a Unique Historical and Geographical Identity

Kurds in Syria inhabit historical regions known as "Western Kurdistan" or "Rojava," extending along the northern Syrian belt from Ain Diwar in the east to Afrin in the west. These areas are not merely scattered communities but rather a historical homeland of the Kurdish people for centuries. However, since the formation of the modern Syrian state, Kurds have faced systematic marginalization and exclusion, starting with the Arab Belt project in the 1960s, which aimed to alter the demographic composition of their areas, the stripping of citizenship from thousands of Kurds, and the security policies that sought to suppress any political expression of Kurdish identity.

All these measures confirm that the Kurdish issue is not merely a matter of citizenship or legal equality but rather a question of a people’s right to self-determination and recognition of their national identity.

Third: The Kurdish Issue Within the Framework of a Political Solution in Syria

Amid the ongoing Syrian conflict, the Kurdish issue has emerged as a key factor in any future political settlement. Although Kurdish political forces, particularly the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, have proposed a vision based on federalism and decentralization, the new Syrian regime and some opposition factions still perceive these demands as a threat to national unity, without offering any viable alternatives that acknowledge legitimate Kurdish rights.

A just solution to the Kurdish issue in Syria cannot be achieved through continued exclusionary policies or by ignoring its political nature. Rather, it requires official constitutional recognition of the Kurdish people’s presence in Syria and granting them their national, cultural, and administrative rights within a fair political framework that ensures pluralism and safeguards the rights of all Syrian components.

Conclusion

The debate over terminology related to the Kurdish issue is not merely a linguistic argument but rather reflects a political struggle over the recognition of Kurdish rights. While some seek to portray it as an issue of individual rights within the Syrian state, Kurds insist that it is a political matter involving self-determination and recognition of their status as a people with their own history, land, and culture. Therefore, any future resolution for Syria must be based on justice and mutual recognition, steering away from policies of denial and marginalization.

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