Syrian Kurds Declare Autonomous Region in Northeast

Kurdish Administration Dubs Region Rojava

Having been snubbed outright from the Geneva II peace talks, the Syrian Kurdish parties have agreed to establish an autonomous region spanning the nation’s northeast.

Dubbed Rojava (the traditional Kurdish name for the region), the Kurdish government will be centered in the capital city of Qamishli, along the border with Turkey, and is preparing a new constitution.

Turkey has previously threatened “action” against Kurdish autonomy, which is the exact opposite result from what they envisioned the Syrian Civil War producing. The Syrian rebels have also claimed autonomy is “hostile” to their goal of conquering the whole nation.

The Kurdish factions has initially envisioned the administration as keeping Syrian Kurdistan out of the civil war and reintegrating with the eventual winning side, but as the war continues to stalemate they seem to be setting up a more or less permanent autonomous region.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is news editor of