Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods fall, and Syria’s minority question resurfaces - analysis

A week of clashes in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo has led to the widespread displacement of Kurdish people from the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah. These are two Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo that have been largely self-governing for a decade and controlled by Kurdish security forces. These forces are linked to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Syria, a group that has been backed by the United States to fight ISIS. After the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, there was a year of talks trying to integrate the two Kurdish neighborhoods with the new Syrian governing authorities. Nevertheless, clashes have often resulted.

These clashes grew in the first days of 2026, and now Syrian security forces have taken over most of the Kurdish neighborhoods, causing many Kurds to flee and leading to abuses of Kurdish detainees.

...However, the reality on the ground is not just two security forces chafing with each other. There is widespread animosity and racist hatred against Kurds in Syria.

...In videos from the clashes, there have been scenes of a Kurdish body thrown off a building, a Kurdish woman fighter having her hair pulled and being insulted, and detained Kurds being called “pigs” and encouraged to bark like dogs. This is the kind of imagery typical of racist and fascist movements.

...Some of the Syrian fighters are formerly members of extremist groups, and many of them blend a form of Islamist devotion with Arab nationalism. Some view the Kurds as sub-human and often accuse Kurdish fighters of being members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Because of Turkey’s influence over some of the Syrian Arab fighters, there is intense hatred of the PKK. (Ed note: Remember that Syria and Turkey hate both the Kurds and the Jews. Always keep one eye on Syria.) (Read More)