From Autonomous Governance to State Integration: What Comes Next for Northeast Syria (Rojava)?

Описание: On October 11, 2026, Sbey Research recorded the ninth episode of Frontline Talks, a program that brings together experts and scholars from around the world to foster diverse perspectives and meaningful discussions on current security, political, economic, and international issues, including their implications for the Kurdish question.

The episode, titled “From Autonomous Governance to State Integration: What Comes Next for Northeast Syria (Rojava)?”, features Katia Zagoritou, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Peloponnese, Greece, in conversation with Ahang Habib Hawrami, M.A. researcher at Sbey Research.

The discussion explores one of the most consequential questions surrounding Syria’s political transition: what happens when a system of de facto governance created by a non-state armed group, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), confronts the prospect of integration into a centralized state? Drawing on Zagoritou’s research on governance in Rojava, the conversation examines whether this transition signals the end of the Rojava experiment or the possibility of its transformation into a new political and constitutional arrangement within Syria.

It also analyzes the future of the SDF, the distinct position of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) (in Kurdish Kurmancî -Yekîneyên Parastina Jinê), and the challenges of integrating existing military and security structures into state institutions while maintaining public trust and local security. It also considers the broader concerns of Kurdish communities, including constitutional and cultural rights, political representation, accountability for past crimes, and the future of local self-governance.

Beyond the immediate question of integration, the conversation examines the competing visions of centralized and decentralized governance, the roles of Damascus and Ankara in shaping the region’s future, and the political choices facing Kurdish-led actors particularly; Mazloum Abdi and Elham Ahmed as they navigate a changing landscape.

Clarification Note: This episode was recorded before Mazloum Abdi's panel discussion at the Middle East Research Institute's 2026 forum, titled “The Region We Share: Advancing Stability, Cooperation & Prosperity.”

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