Syria's integration process with the Kurdish-run semi-autonomous region faces significant challenges due to disputes over Kurdish political representation and cultural rights, despite advancements in military integration. On May 24, authorities completed the selection of 11 parliament members from Kurdish-majority areas, with only five seats going to Kurdish candidates through an indirect "appointment process" criticized by Kurdish officials for failing to reflect "free Kurdish will."
This reignites concerns over inadequate political representation, as Syria's interim constitution relies on electors chosen by committees rather than direct citizen votes. While a U.S.-mediated agreement in January integrated four SDF brigades into the Syrian army, political and cultural progress remains limited. President Ahmad al-Sharaa's centralization of power through presidential decrees, exacerbated by the parliament's prolonged absence, heightens Kurdish fears, especially after their exclusion from the March 2025 constitutional drafting process. Washington should pressure Damascus to uphold Sharaa's decree recognizing Kurdish rights and curb his concentrated power, conditioning deeper engagement on these reforms and threatening sanctions under Executive Order 13894 against obstructionists.
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