Can US Help Achieve Unity for Syrian Kurds?
2020-06-29
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Syrian Kurdish groups recently announced plans to work together to govern the northeastern part of Syria.
2United States officials have expressed support for the unity effort.
3Since 2012, two groups have largely been in control of the Kurdish-majority area.
4One is the People's Protection Units, YPG, and its political organization the Democratic Union Party, PYD.
5The YPG is the main group within the U.S.-supported Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF.
6The SDF has been a major U.S. partner in the fight against Islamic State, IS, in Syria.
7The other group is the Kurdish National Council in Syria, ENKS, which includes several political parties.
8The ENKS has opposed the PYD and its autonomous administration in northeast Syria.
9U.S. officials hope the two sides will set aside their differences and work to improve the local administration in Syria's northeast.
10For months, the U.S. government has been helping with negotiations between the sides.
11The goal of the talks is an agreement for a political solution that enables them to take part in a joint administration for northeast Syria.
12Following the announcement, the U.S. Interest Section in Syria released a statement.
13It said the agreement will cover governance, administrative cooperation and protection.
14"The United States welcomes this as an important step towards greater understanding and practical cooperation," the statement said.
15The U.S. Embassy in Damascus closed in 2012 after Syrian government forces attacked protestors during the early days of the country's civil war.
16However, a U.S. interests office at the Czech Embassy in Damascus communicates with the Syrian public through social media.
17Nicholas Heras is a Middle East expert at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.
18He says the United States wants the Syrian Kurdish parties to work together to bring order to northeast Syria.
19This will help as the U.S. government continues its campaign against the Islamic State group.
20Heras told VOA that the U.S. wants to provide a Syrian-Kurdish party that can govern northeastern Syria and that will be acceptable to Turkey's government.
21He added that the move will assist a "U.S.-led effort to execute counter-ISIS operations."
22The ENKS is considered close to Turkish officials.
23The Kurdish group has expressed a willingness to work in the administration established by the PYD.
24"The success of this agreement depends on how much the U.S. can support it while investing in our region politically," said Sulaiman Oso.
25He is an ENKS leader.
26Other Kurdish officials say unity efforts are important to protect the gains they have made against Islamic State forces during the Syrian civil war.
27"Turkey and the Syrian regime are trying to damage our gains," said Mazioum Abdi, the general commander of the SDF.
28He told VOA that the agreement will prevent Turkey and Syria's government from using Kurdish divisions for political gains.
29Heras says the U.S. push for Syrian Kurdish unity could lessen Turkey's worries about PYD's strength in the northeast.
30Turkish forces have carried out operations against the SDF.
31Turkey considers both the YPG and PYD as part of the Turkish-based Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.
32The PKK has fought Turkey for years in a campaign for greater rights.
33Turkish and U.S. officials describe the group as a terrorist organization.
34Yet even with the agreement, Turkish officials say any groups that work with the PKK will be considered targets for military operations.
35I'm Susan Shand.
1Syrian Kurdish groups recently announced plans to work together to govern the northeastern part of Syria. 2United States officials have expressed support for the unity effort. 3Since 2012, two groups have largely been in control of the Kurdish-majority area. One is the People's Protection Units, YPG, and its political organization the Democratic Union Party, PYD. The YPG is the main group within the U.S.-supported Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF. The SDF has been a major U.S. partner in the fight against Islamic State, IS, in Syria. 4The other group is the Kurdish National Council in Syria, ENKS, which includes several political parties. The ENKS has opposed the PYD and its autonomous administration in northeast Syria. 5'Significant progress' 6U.S. officials hope the two sides will set aside their differences and work to improve the local administration in Syria's northeast. 7For months, the U.S. government has been helping with negotiations between the sides. The goal of the talks is an agreement for a political solution that enables them to take part in a joint administration for northeast Syria. 8Following the announcement, the U.S. Interest Section in Syria released a statement. It said the agreement will cover governance, administrative cooperation and protection. 9"The United States welcomes this as an important step towards greater understanding and practical cooperation," the statement said. 10The U.S. Embassy in Damascus closed in 2012 after Syrian government forces attacked protestors during the early days of the country's civil war. However, a U.S. interests office at the Czech Embassy in Damascus communicates with the Syrian public through social media. 11Stabilizing NE Syria 12Nicholas Heras is a Middle East expert at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War. He says the United States wants the Syrian Kurdish parties to work together to bring order to northeast Syria. This will help as the U.S. government continues its campaign against the Islamic State group. 13Heras told VOA that the U.S. wants to provide a Syrian-Kurdish party that can govern northeastern Syria and that will be acceptable to Turkey's government. He added that the move will assist a "U.S.-led effort to execute counter-ISIS operations." 14The ENKS is considered close to Turkish officials. The Kurdish group has expressed a willingness to work in the administration established by the PYD. 15"The success of this agreement depends on how much the U.S. can support it while investing in our region politically," said Sulaiman Oso. He is an ENKS leader. 16Other Kurdish officials say unity efforts are important to protect the gains they have made against Islamic State forces during the Syrian civil war. 17"Turkey and the Syrian regime are trying to damage our gains," said Mazioum Abdi, the general commander of the SDF. He told VOA that the agreement will prevent Turkey and Syria's government from using Kurdish divisions for political gains. 18Turkish objection 19Heras says the U.S. push for Syrian Kurdish unity could lessen Turkey's worries about PYD's strength in the northeast. Turkish forces have carried out operations against the SDF. 20Turkey considers both the YPG and PYD as part of the Turkish-based Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. The PKK has fought Turkey for years in a campaign for greater rights. Turkish and U.S. officials describe the group as a terrorist organization. 21Yet even with the agreement, Turkish officials say any groups that work with the PKK will be considered targets for military operations. 22I'm Susan Shand. 23VOA's Sirwan Kajjo reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 24________________________________________________________________ 25Words in This Story 26autonomous - adj. a self-governing state 27practical - adj. logical and orderly 28regime - n. a ruling organization that is not democratically elected