Afrin/Erfîn
Kurdish Autonomy Summer 2012: Syrian Army leaves Afrin and the other Kurdish regions January 2014 Autonomy of the Canton Afrin declared
Kurdish Asayîş
People s Protection Units YPG
Women s Protection Units YPJ
Funeral of a YPJ fighter in Efrîn
Social Contract ( Constitution ) We the peoples of Rojava: Syria's Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Turkmen and Armenians, Chechens, Circassians, Muslims and Christians and Yezidis and various others, our communities are aware that the nation-state, which has brought the problems and crises of acute and tragedies of our people
Social Contract Death penalty abolished Equality of sexes Freedom of Religion Council Democracy
All power to the councils? Council Democracy Equality of all ethnic and religious groups Dominance of PYD and YPG, exclusion of Oppsoition Kurdish dominance Equality of all gender Conservative Society Gesellschaftlicher Konservativismus
Democratic Federation of Northern Syria March 2016: Federasyona Bakurê Sûriyê Rojava Decembre 2017: Federaliya Demokratîk a Bakûrê Sûriyê Reform of Administration 2017: Region Afrin established: Cantons of Afrin andd Shabha Canton Afrin with three districs: Afrin (Efrîn), Cindirês and Reco
Religious diversity in Efrîn Sunni Kurds (mainly Hanafiya) Êzîdî Kurds: 10.000-20.000 Alevi Kurds: ~ 10.000 Christians in Afrin: Armenians until the 1960s (today 3 fam.) Kurdish converts in Afrin Cindirês and Reco: ~ 1.500
Efrîn
Efrîn
Efrîn
Efrîn
Efrîn
Efrîn
Efrîn
Efrîn
Efrîn: Center of the Êzîdî
Êzîdî village: Qestelê
Êzîdî village: Qitmê
Êzîdî village: Feqîra
Dörfer der Êzîdî: Feqîra
Êzîdî village: Feqîra
Elections Communal elections on 22 September 2017 Regional elections on 1 Decembre 2017: Afrin Region (A total of 1,176 seats) 1. Democratic Nation List Lîsta Netewa Demokratîk: 89,80%, 1,056 seats (out of 1,175 candidates running). 2. Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria (Democratic Yekîtî - PYDKS): 6,12%, 72 seats (out of 197 candidates running). 3. Syrian National Democratic Alliance: 0,68%, 8 seats (out of 48 candidates running). 4. Independents: 3,40%, 40 seats (out of 86 candidates running).
Prime Minister Hêvî Îbrahîm Mustefa
Fight about the territory between Efrîn and Kobanê in fall 2016
Battle of Aleppo 2016:
Zones of Influence since 2017 US-Russian deal: Euphrates as demarcation line between Russian (and Iranian) zone of influence and US-zone of influence ->US supports Kurds in the East (Jezire and Kobani) but not in Afrin!
Turkish attack against Efrîn Turkey: YPG ist part of the terrorist PKK. Turkey wants to stop any attempt of a Kurdish Autonomy in Syria Russia: Uses Turkey to force Kurds into the arms of the Regime -> Solidarity of Kurdish Opposition (E.N.K.S.) with Efrîn and YPG. Only very minor collaboration of mainly village guards and very small Syrian-Kurdish groups(liwa aḥfād Ṣalāḥ ad-dīn, Azadî-Brigade) -> Islamists, including (former) ISIS-fighters as Turkish Allies
End of February 2018 in Afrin
Situation in March 2018
Cindirês: 15.000 inhabitants 5 March 2018
Results of Turkish attacks Humanitarian consequences Supply problems with basic goods Refugees from the villages under Turkish control Bombardment (including gas?) What will happen to religious minorities? Jihady allies of Turkey! Political consequences YPG/SDF cooperation with the regime Withdrawal of YPG from Aleppo: Regime takes over. Increasing nationalism and anti-kurdish propaganda in Turkey and in the Turkish diaspora in Europe. YPG withdraws from fighting ISIS -> Survival of ISIS? New wave of violence in Turkey in spring?
European involvement European used against Kurds: German Leopard-Tanks. EU-Turkish Refugees agreement: Turkey wants to repatriate 500.000 refugees to Afrin: Ethnic cleansing? Turkish war propaganda in the Diaspora: Turkish mosques and associations are used for nationalist war propaganda -> political atmosphere in Europe?
Examples of Turkish war propaganda in social media
What can we do? Only EU, USA (NATO-Partner) or Russia (Hegemon in Syria) can stop Turkey! Otherwise: Humanitarian and refugee crisis for about 400.000 people from Afrin + 200.000-300.000 IDPs from other parts of Syria who came to Afrin since 2012! Danger of massacres against Êzîdî and other religious minorities by jihadist Allies of Turkey!
Thank you! thomas.schmidinger@univie.ac.at