Damascus, Syria – In an unprecedented and dramatic scene reminiscent of pivotal moments in Kurdish history, the past few hours have witnessed a cross-border popular uprising. Thousands of Kurdish youth from Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan have begun a virtual march across the Syrian border on foot. They are heading towards the city of Qamishli and its surrounding countryside amidst military tensions between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Storming of the Nusaybin border crossing: “The border is underfoot”
A video showed hundreds of Kurdish youth in the Turkish city of Nusaybin breaking through concrete barriers and barbed wire, crossing en masse into the neighboring city of Qamishli. Other videos circulating online show plumes of smoke rising from some border points, amid reports of guard posts being set ablaze. Meanwhile, border guards retreated before the massive crowds chanting slogans of “resistance” and Kurdish unity.
Sulaymaniyah caravans and the call to arms from “Bashur”
Simultaneously with the events in Nusaybin, convoys comprising hundreds of volunteers from Sulaymaniyah Governorate and other areas of Iraqi Kurdistan set out. Dozens of buses and private cars also headed towards the Fishkhabur/Semalka border crossing. This was an attempt to circumvent official restrictions and reach the front lines or urban centers in northeastern Syria.
Motives: “The Call of Existence” and Fears of Extermination
This popular uprising comes in response to urgent appeals for help from leaders within the Autonomous Administration, most notably Fawza al-Youssef, who called on Kurds in the four cantons to “storm the borders” to prevent what she termed “the threat of genocide” and to reject the merger agreement signed on January 18 with Damascus. The demonstrators also consider the handover of weapons and administration to the central government in Damascus under the recent agreement to be a liquidation of the Kurdish cause. For this reason, the “Kurdistan National Army” and other forces have declared their readiness for confrontation.
Serious field and political repercussions
This incursion puts the SDF leadership in a difficult position vis-à-vis Damascus, as the agreement stipulates the expulsion of foreign elements and the establishment of security, while thousands are pouring across the border. Turkish forces are also on high alert along the border, amid fears that this incursion could escalate into a full-blown military confrontation with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Observers believe that today’s border breach is a powerful political message that the Kurdish street has bypassed its political leadership and decided to impose a new reality on the ground, rejecting a return to the central authority of Damascus. Tensions are running high in Qamishli, where incoming delegations have begun to spread throughout the streets amidst local popular support. Meanwhile, Syrian government forces and Russian military police are cautiously observing the situation without intervening directly so far.
