The Euphrates river at Duro-Europos, Syria, 2008. Flickr/Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. Some rights reserved.The Kurds in northern Syria, or Rojava (western/Syrian Kurdistan), most of whom until recently had not been allowed to buy or rent land or even to carry ID cards, have now succeeded in establishing democratic autonomy, applying a model based on social justice, gender equality and sustainability, and raising the question - could this model be implemented throughout the Middle East?
However, Rojava is surrounded by hostile neighbours, Turkey, Syria and Iraq, making it an insecure environment in socio-economic terms. The key factor with regard to Rojava’s sustainability and socioeconomic development may be the flow of the Euphrates. Since the river is mainly controlled by Turkish-supported rebels and so-called Islamic State or Daesh, the question arises, can Rojava exist without the water of the Euphrates?
Rojava consists of three quasi-federal cantons: ’Afrin, Kobanè and Cizîrè. While there are people of other ethnicities, including Arab, Asuri-Suryani and Armenian, in Rojava, the majority of the population is Kurdish. There is no doubt that the civil war in Syria has opened up a real possibility of autonomy for Syrian Kurds led by the Democratic Union Party (PYD). It has been a momentous time for them, as they now aim at becoming autonomous if not independent, particularly after their successful fight against Daesh.
