Kurdistan Region and Syria: The Problem of Relations (1992-2020)

Abstract

Abstract Despite the political, geographical, and security relations that links Syria and KRG, Damascus always have had an impact on the Kurdish political movements in other parts of Kurdistan. This research examines the foundation of Syria-KRG relations from 1992 onwards. In order to explore the extent of these relations, Regional Security Complex theory has been adopted which considers the Kurdistan Region as a security threat to Syria. Also the method applied by Anoushiravan Ehteshami and Raymond A. Hinnebusch (1997), (Middle Powers in a Penetrated Regional System) is utilized to understand Syria’s interventionist behavior in the Kurdistan Region, which considers the Syrian insecure state system as a major drive behind Syrian state behavior. This study has concluded that the Syria-KRG relations could be classified into three stages. The first stage includes the pre 1992 era, which Syria viewed Iraqi Kurds as a political card against Saddam’s Ba’ath regime in Iraq. However, on the second stage (1992-2003) Syria was very careful and skeptical to make political relations with KRG, the relations at this stage were mostly focused on the trade sector. At this stage Syrian regime tried to benefit from Iraqi Kurds economically. While from 2003 onwards Syrian regime saw KRG as a security threat to Kurdish minority in Syria. It can be argued that from 2011 onwards there have been very limited relation with Syrian regime, because of the Syrian crisis which isolated Syrian regime from international community. However, in this stage KRG has focused on relations with the Syrian Kurds (Rojava), which so far is mostly a mere reflection of the KDP-PKK rivalry in the region.