Watch the recording of our event, "The Future of Kurds in Syria" at @AU_SIS with @AlizaMarcus, Dlshad Othman, @SirwanKajjo, and @YerevanSaeed. https://t.co/p9gJoUWi2K

Read the recap of our event, "The Future of Kurds in Syria" at @AU_SIS, featuring @AlizaMarcus, Dlshad Othman, @SirwanKajjo, and @YerevanSaeed. https://t.co/NN7QCzV0Ui

Great turnout for yesterday’s “Future of Kurds in Syria” event hosted by @KurdishSIS at @AU_SIS. Big thanks to @SirwanKajjo for moderating, and to @AlizaMarcus and Dlshad Othman for sharing their insights. #Syria #Kurds #Policy #MiddleEast

“The Future of Kurds in Syria” at @AU_SIS, with @AlizaMarcus, AKA VP Dlshad Othman, @SirwanKajjo, and @YerevanSaeed. As Syria enters a new phase, what does it mean for the Kurds? @KurdishSIS

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Othman: “I think the only way for Damascus to succeed is to let some of their power go to the regions.”

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Othman: “People in Aleppo are upset by how Damascus is managing their economy. I don't think decentralization will just solve military issues, but might actually solve other issues like economic issues. The SDF is out, there's no administration there, Damascus is not interested.”

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Marcus: "I think that's also been a weakness, because in each part of Kurdistan, you have different power centers that don't necessarily want to merge under one umbrella.”

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Marcus: “Öcalan's philosophy has always been transnational, from one big Kurdistan to multiple little Kurdistans that would be controlled by different parties."

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Othman: "But I think if this integration moves forward and becomes a successful application between Damascus and the Northeast, it can be a very positive model that can be used, adopted at least by the Druze in the South."

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Othman: "The way they countered Damascus is by forming their own military groups and then they started building their own administration organizations. Currently, SDF’s military supposedly is going to be part of the Syrian government, so they view it as a failed experiment."

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Othman: “I have lots of friends from Suwayda who viewed SDF as a separatist group, and their narrative was very anti-SDF until what happened to them in July and March. Currently, there are some changes in their views."

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Othman: "In a recent hearing in Congress's Committee of Foreign Affairs, it's clear that the U.S. is viewing how successful the political process is in Syria by how successful they are with integrating the SDF into the government. It's not an option for al-Sharaa to fail today."

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Marcus: "There's an argument to be made that you need some of these for stability, that this is how the region has been governed for the past 14 years, and just removing them suddenly will cause instability."

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Marcus: "But in the short to medium term, the group has a lot of organizational structures throughout the world, and especially in Rojava, and I think that you don't expect those people to disappear, and you don't expect those structures to disappear."

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Marcus: "I don't think the experiment is over yet, and I think the PKK is changing and evolving. Its methods of control and its ideology will also have to change."

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Marcus: “You have a situation where Barzani, the KDP, and the PUK understand that if Rojava falls, Iraqi Kurdistan is next. This is really an important symbol.”

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Othman: “Most, if not all, employees of the Autonomous Administration will get to keep their jobs as part of this integration. So people will still be from the same places that they've been running for the past decade.”

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Othman: “They signed an agreement with the Ministry of Health to integrate the Department of Health as the Administration of Health in Al Hasakah. The hierarchy is going to stay exactly the same."

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Othman: “If you see the head of an organization from Rojava, the deputy will be from Damascus. The heads of internal security branches are going to be Kurds. In Amuda, Qamishli, and Derik, the heads of intelligence or security in general security branches are going to be locals.”

@AU_SIS @AlizaMarcus @SirwanKajjo @YerevanSaeed Othman: "The SDF is going to join as four different units into the Syrian army. In the Kobani, there will be an internal security presence there."