Can US Help Achieve Unity for Syrian Kurds?

 

Syrian Kurdish groups recently announced plans to work together to govern the northeastern part of Syria.

United States officials have expressed support for the unity¹ effort.

Since 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.

The other group is the Kurdish National Council in Syria, ENKS, which includes several political parties. The ENKS has opposed the PYD and its autonomous² administration in northeast Syria.

'Significant progress'

U.S. officials hope the two sides will set aside their differences and work to improve the local administration in Syria's northeast.

For months, the U.S. government has been helping³ with negotiations⁴ between the sides. The goal of the talks is an agreement for a political solution that enables them to take part in a joint⁵ administration for northeast Syria.

Following the announcement, the U.S. Interest Section in Syria released a statement. It said the agreement will cover governance, administrative⁶ cooperation and protection.

"The United States welcomes this as an important step towards greater understanding and practical cooperation," the statement said.

The 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.

Stabilizing⁷ NE Syria

Nicholas 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.

Heras 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."

The ENKS is considered close to Turkish officials. The Kurdish group has expressed a willingness to work in the administration established by the PYD.

"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.

Other Kurdish officials say unity efforts are important to protect the gains they have made against Islamic State forces during the Syrian civil war.

"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.

Turkish objection

Heras says the U.S. push for Syrian Kurdish unity could lessen⁸ Turkey's worries about PYD's strength in the northeast. Turkish forces have carried out operations against the SDF.

Turkey 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.

Yet even with the agreement, Turkish officials say any groups that work with the PKK will be considered targets for military operations.

I'm Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

autonomous – adj. a self-governing state

practical - adj. logical and orderly

regime – n. a ruling organization that is not democratically elected

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

7 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

8 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。