Syrian Kurds as Proto-State Actors

Abstract

The self-proclaimed Kurdish autonomy in the Northeastern Syria has already being estimated as one-third of the country, and, despite its unrecognized status, appears to become one of the key players in the Syrian peace settlement and, at the same time, a political hostage to the situation that has developed in Syria as a result of the civil war. The article explores the formation of the self-proclaimed autonomy in the Northeastern Syria (aka Rojava, Syrian Kurdistan, Federation of Northeastern Syria, Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria (AANES)) and puts forward the thesis of Rojava’s emergence as an insurgent state. The first part of the study analyzes it’s political system by implementation of the concept of proto-state actors for the Kurdish Self-Defense Forces (YPG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD). Due to the inclusiveness of the Kurdish Self-Defense Forces the Kurdish non-state actors (PYD-YPG) have acquired the proto-state features, going beyond the definition of the “Syrian wing” of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK). The article focuses on the complex and diversified ethnic composition of the local population within the boundaries of the de facto autonomy. It is manifested by the presence of various political actors and movements, including those based on ethnic particularism. It is concluded that such a political structure is a fragile one due to the interethnic contradictions between the Kurds and the Arabs in the region.