Will the U.S. support the Syria Kurds?

Syrian Kurds find themselves in a difficult position after the fall of Bashar Assad, as Islamists seize power in Damascus and Turkey seeks to carve out a slice of Syrian territory along its border. Turkey views all Syrian Kurdish militia groups as a major security threat, insisting they are all linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a separatist organization in Turkey, seen as terrorists. This applies to Kurdish militias that were allies of the United States and Europe in the war against the Islamic State, such as the People’s Defense Units (YPG). Turkey sees Kurds as their arch-enemy and will do what it takes to get them out of Turkey and out of Syria. The Kurdish population is estimated to be between 30 and 45 million. Kurds do not comprise a majority in any country, making them a stateless people.

Turkish officials have a habit of naming all such militias as if they were wings of the PKK for example, referring to the YPG as “PKK-YPG.” Turkey’s ruling AKP party also tries to delegitimize Kurdish politicians by accusing them of having secret links to the PKK. Turkish president Erdogan has invaded Syria several times since its civil war broke out in 2011, with the goal of creating a security corridor along its border that is free of Kurdish armed groups.

Turkey cultivated alliances with a network of Syrian rebel groups, collectively known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), who have been happy to help Turkey drive Kurds out of the security corridor. No sooner had Assad been ousted from Damascus than Turkish officials began urging the victorious Islamist insurgents of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to team up with Turkey against the Kurds. Turkey’s SNA allies clashed with Kurdish forces and captured several towns from them earlier in December, notably including Manbij, a city that was hotly contested during the rise and fall of the Islamic State.

The Syrian Kurds are on the back foot as much of the territory they consolidated over the past 13 years is now threatened by HTS, which apparently seeks good relations with Turkey, and the even more hostile militias of the NSA.

The balance has shifted fundamentally in Syria to the advantage of Turkey-backed or Turkey-aligned factions, and Turkey seems determined to exploit this to the fullest. The Kurds are in a uniquely dangerous position because there is now no Russia, no Iran to keep Turkey or the ruling power in Damascus at bay. Erdogan finally has a chance to deal with the Kurds in Syria and he would not pass up the opportunity to focus his attention on destroying the YPG.

Turkey’s SNA allies are already approaching the Euphrates River. Crossing that line without permission from HTS could cause friction between Turkey and the new rulers of Syria, and it would put the SNA on a collision course with the small American military force remaining in Syria. The U.S. has relied on the Kurds in the fight against the terror group ISIS. The U.S. has a history of deserting allies, and will they now support the Kurds against the NATO ally Turkey, or will they abandon the Kurds and let Turkey proceed?

The Kurds might be able to turn to Israel for help. The Israelis have established their own buffer zone in post-Assad Syria, and they have long seen the Kurds as an ally in Syria. The Israelis might even intend for their buffer zone to become a protective barricade behind which the Kurds can establish their own miniature state within Syria.

To keep Turkey out of Syria is in the U.S. interest for the future of Syria because the Kurds are a stabilizing force in this country. The U.S. should, with Israel’s help, be concerned about a Turkish attack against the Kurds in Syria. Senior Kurdish officials welcomed Israel’s support, noting they have never threatened Israel or questioned its right to exist, and they have striven to provide competent and stable governance for territory under their control.

The situation is getting some attention in the U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Lindsey Graham introduced bipartisan legislation last week to sanction Turkey for its military campaign against the Kurds of northern Syria. Syria is now in a new phase, and discussions are underway about the future of the country. It is important that the U.S. and the incoming new administration focus on helping the Kurds in Syria.