By Micah Jonah
January 22, 2026
Syrian Kurdish forces have ceded major territory this month as President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government moves to bring security forces, lands under central authority. The setback continues a century-long struggle for Kurds, an ethnic group historically left stateless after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
Kurds, concentrated in northern Syria and across Turkey, Iraq, and Iran, have long sought autonomy. In Syria, they make up about 10 percent of the population. Under Bashar al-Assad, many Kurds were denied citizenship, banned from political activity, and restricted from using their language.
During the 2011 civil war, Kurdish groups expanded self-rule in the north through the PYD and its militia, YPG, with U.S. support against Islamic State militants. Since Assad’s ouster in 2024, Kurds have aimed to preserve autonomy, but Washington’s closer ties to Sharaa have weakened their leverage. Sharaa recently recognized Kurdish as a national language, permitted its teaching in schools.
The Syrian Democratic Forces have retreated to Kurdish-majority areas as government advances capture key cities and infrastructure. Across the region, Kurdish populations in Turkey, Iraq, and Iran continue to face challenges, from insurgencies and limited autonomy to human rights violations and unrest.
The developments underscore the fragile balance between Kurdish aspirations and state authority across the Middle East, as Damascus consolidates control and Kurds navigate shifting alliances.
