The path to self-governed Rojava Rojava conflict

1 path self-governed rojava

1.1 syrian civil war
1.2 kurdish parties negotiate
1.3 ypg claims territory
1.4 self-governed rojava established

the path self-governed rojava
syrian civil war

kurds, assyrians, , arabs demonstrate against syrian government in qamishli, 6 january 2012

in 2011, arab spring spread syria. similar beginning of tunisian revolution, syrian citizen hasan ali akleh soaked himself in gasoline , set himself on fire in northern city of al-hasakah. inspired activists call day of rage , ended being sparsely attended, because of fear of repression syrian government. days later, however, protests again took place, time in response police beating of shopkeeper.

smaller protests continued, on 7 march 2011, when thirteen political prisoners went on hunger strike, momentum began grow against assad government. 3 days later dozens of syrian kurds went on hunger strike in solidarity. on 12 march, major protests took place in qamishli , al-hasakah both protest assad government , commemorate kurdish martyrs day.

protests grew on months of march , april 2011. assad government attempted appease kurds promising grant citizenship thousands of kurds, until time had been stripped of legal status. summer, protests had intensified, did violent crackdowns syrian government.

on 22 july 2012, serê kaniyê (ra s al- ayn) pictured above , series of other towns in rojava captured people s protection units (ypg).

in august, coalition of opposition groups formed syrian national council in hopes of creating democratic, pluralistic alternative assad government. however, internal fighting , disagreement on politics , inclusion plagued group beginnings. in fall of 2011 popular uprising escalated armed conflict. free syrian army (fsa) began coalesce , armed insurrection spread, largely across central , southern parts of syria.

kurdish parties negotiate

the national movement of kurdish parties in syria, coalition of syria s 12 kurdish parties, boycotted syrian opposition summit in antalya, turkey on 31 may 2011, stating such meeting held in turkey can detriment kurds in syria, because turkey against aspirations of kurds .

during august summit in istanbul, led creation of syrian national council, 2 of parties in national movement of kurdish parties in syria, kurdish union party , kurdish freedom party, attended summit.

anti-government protests had been ongoing in kurdish-inhabited areas of syria since march 2011, part of wider syrian uprising, clashes started after opposition kurdish democratic union party (pyd) , kurdish national council (knc) signed seven-point agreement on 11 june 2012 in erbil under auspice of iraqi kurdistan president massoud barzani. agreement, however, failed implemented , new cooperation agreement between 2 sides signed on 12 july saw creation of kurdish supreme committee governing body of kurdish-controlled territories in syria.

ypg claims territory

the people s protection units (ypg) entered conflict capturing city of kobanî on 19 july 2012, followed capture of amuda , efrîn on 20 july. cities fell without major clashes, syrian security forces withdrew without significant resistance. syrian army pulled out fight elsewhere. knc , pyd afterwards formed joint leadership council run captured cities.

the ypg forces continued advancement , on 21 july captured al-malikiyah (kurdish: dêrika hemko‎), located 10 kilometers turkish border. rebels @ time intended capture qamishli, largest syrian city kurdish majority. on same day, syrian government attacked patrol of kurdish ypg members , wounded 1 fighter. next day reported kurdish forces still fighting al-malikiyah, 1 young kurdish activist killed after government security forces opened fire on protesters. ypg took control on towns of ra s al- ayn (kurdish: serê kaniyê‎) , al-darbasiyah (kurdish: dirbêsî‎), after security , political units withdrew these areas, following ultimatum issued kurds. on same day, clashes erupted in qamishli between ypg , government forces in 1 kurdish fighter killed , 2 wounded along 1 government official.

the ease kurdish forces captured towns , government troops pulled speculated due government reaching agreement kurds military forces area freed engage opposition forces in rest of country. on 24 july, pyd announced syrian security forces withdrew small kurdish city of 16,000 of al-ma bada (kurdish: girkê legê‎), located between al-malikiyah , turkish borders. ypg forces afterwards took control of government institutions.

self-governed rojava established

on 1 august 2012, assad forces on periphery of country pulled intensifying conflict taking place in aleppo. during large withdrawal north, people s protection units (ypg), pro-kurdish militia formed after 2004 qamishli riots, took control of @ least parts of qamishlo, efrin, amude, terbaspi , ayn el arab little conflict or casualties.

on 2 august 2012, national coordination committee democratic change announced kurdish-majority cities in syria, exception of qamishli , hasaka, no longer controlled government forces , being governed kurdish political parties. in qamishli, government military , police forces remained in barracks , administration officials in city allowed kurdish flag raised.

in same month, free syrian army (fsa) bombed government s intelligence center in city.

after months of de facto rule, pyd officially announced regional autonomy on 9 january 2014. elections held, popular assemblies established , constitution of rojava approved. since then, residents have been organizing local assemblies, re-opening schools, establishing community centers , pushing islamic state of iraq , levant (isil) gain control of further territory. see model of grassroots democracy model can implemented throughout syria in future.