Syria's Kurds, who sacrificed thousands fighting the Islamic State alongside American forces, now fear another betrayal as President Ahmed al-Sharaa prepares for a historic White House meeting with Donald Trump on November 10—conspicuously without Kurdish representation in his delegation.
According to Amberin Zaman, reporting for Al-Monitor, the exclusion of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) representatives from Sharaa's delegation signals a troubling shift for America's Kurdish allies. "We would have hoped at the very least to be included in Sharaa's delegation," a Kurdish source with close ties to the SDF told Zaman, highlighting growing concerns about their political marginalization despite a decade of military partnership with Washington.
The upcoming summit marks a momentous achievement for Sharaa, the former jihadi who overthrew Bashar al-Assad just eleven months ago. Trump's Syria envoy, Tom Barrack, announced that Sharaa is expected to sign a document formalizing his government's inclusion in the US-led coalition against ISIS—a move that will significantly boost Damascus's legitimacy while potentially sidelining the Kurds who led that very fight.
Turkey's Decisive Influence
Behind the Kurds' deteriorating position lies Turkey's substantial influence over Syria's interim government. Ali Rahmoun, an Alawite representing the SDF's political arm in Damascus, identified the core problem: "Sharaa has a vision. He is flexible enough to do this [cede ground on decentralization], but the others are stopping him." The real obstacle, Rahmoun explained, is "Turkey, which has huge influence over the interim government and is unwilling to see Syria's Kurds granted any rights they are not willing to grant their own."
Turkey's opposition stems from the SDF's leadership connections to the PKK, the Kurdish rebel organization that fought Ankara for four decades before announcing its "dissolution" in May. Turkish authorities view any Kurdish autonomy in Syria as an existential threat, fearing it could embolden Kurdish separatism within Turkey's own borders—an issue inseparably linked to Syria's Kurdish question.
Currently, Turkey is conducting secret negotiations with SDF leaders as part of broader efforts to resolve its domestic Kurdish issue. These talks aim to purge PKK elements from the SDF before any merger with Syria's National Army. However, Ankara's dual approach—engaging in dialogue while blocking Kurdish political rights—leaves Syrian Kurds in precarious limbo.
Broken Promises and Fading Autonomy
Despite a March 10 agreement signed between Sharaa and SDF commander Mazlum Kobane for integrating Kurdish military and civilian structures into the central government, implementation has stalled. Sipan Hemo, a top SDF commander, blasted Damascus for violations, noting that Kurds weren't consulted when forming the cabinet, declaring a constitution, or planning parliamentary elections.
"The interim authorities are not serious. This government does not believe in inclusivity," said Adel Karim Omar, the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration's representative in Damascus. The situation has deteriorated to the point where Hemo acknowledged the SDF is "bolstering its defenses in case of a potential offensive by government forces."
Damascus demands Kurdish surrender of Deir ez-Zor's oil-rich eastern region without offering joint administration—a concession that could unravel Kurdish control over the northeastern third of Syria they currently govern. The stakes are immense: once sanctions are fully repealed, international oil companies will deal exclusively with Damascus, further marginalizing Kurdish authority.
Washington's Shifting Priorities
The Trump administration's enthusiastic embrace of Sharaa has left the Kurds increasingly isolated. Ilham Ahmed, the Syrian Kurds' de facto foreign minister, has been unable to secure travel authorization to Washington—initially to avoid provoking Turkey, but now likely to prevent Kurdish lobbying that might complicate sanctions repeal efforts.
Many Kurds recall Trump's 2019 betrayal when he green-lit Turkey's invasion of northeast Syria. That memory haunts current negotiations, where Kurdish demands for constitutional guarantees of autonomy clash with Sharaa's centralist vision—a position publicly endorsed by Turkey and tacitly accepted by Washington in its rush to normalize relations with Damascus.
As Mounir Fakir, a Syrian activist familiar with Sharaa, observed: "He needs the oil. He needs the north." Whether pragmatism prevails over Turkish pressure remains uncertain, but Syria's Kurds find themselves once again vulnerable to geopolitical calculations that prioritize Ankara's concerns over their decade of sacrifice in the war against ISIS.
Photo: Gemini AI