Federalization of Syria

This article is about proposals to create a federal Syria since 2011. For the earlier period of federalism, see Syrian Federation.

Proposals for the federalization of Syria were made during the Syrian Civil War^[1] but gained little support^[2][3] apart from Kurdish opposition parties.^[4] The Rojava conflict led to Kurdish-dominated regions becoming a self-governing federation, Rojava, with a constitution written in 2014,^[5] and revised in 2016^[6] and 2023,^[7] each time stating that Rojava (Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, DAANES, in the 2023 version) was part of the Syrian state.^[7]

Governorates and districts of Syria

Syrian Civil War frontlines until the opposition offensives of 2024

The regions of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria

Following the late 2024 fall of the Assad regime, Rojava started negotiations with the Syrian transitional government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa on integration of Rojava with the rest of Syrian state structures, with an eight-point agreement signed on 10 March 2025^[8] and continued intentions for a decentralised national structure as of late August 2025.^[9] In late August 2025, Hikmat al-Hijri called for an autonomous Druze region in the Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria and Alawite groups created the Political Council for Central and Western Syria (PCCWS) that explicitly called for a secular, federalised structure for Syria.^[10]

Proposals during the Syrian Civil War

Federalisation was proposed during the Syrian Civil War as a way of ending the war.^{[1][2][4][3][11]} In the broadest sense, it means turning the centralized Syria into a federal republic with autonomous subdivisions. Many powers and actors involved in the Syrian Civil War have entertained the idea of "federal division", not least among them Russia, United Nations representatives, the United States^[4] and Israel.^[12] Bashar al-Assad during his rule had publicly rejected the idea of federalism, asserting that the Arab majority in Syria is opposed to such proposals.^[a] Most of the neighbouring countries in the region have also dismissed the proposal, including the members of the Arab League and Turkey.^[18][19]

Since federalization could more or less follow ethnic and possibly also religious-sectarian lines, it was dismissed as "division of the country" and "Balkanization" by its opponents.^[2][3] While Assad remained in power, most factions of the Syrian opposition, such as the Syrian National Council and the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, consistently rejected the idea of federalization.^[20] On the other hand, Kurdish opposition parties strongly promoted the idea.^[4] The Egypt-based opposition party Syria's Tomorrow Movement takes an intermediate position.^[21][22]

Timeline

On 17 March 2016, representatives of the regions of north and east Syria, which had been autonomous cantons since 2014, following the Rojava conflict, declared the region to be a federation of autonomous cantons modelled after the cantons of Switzerland; Afrin Canton, Jazira Canton and Kobanî Canton, as well as the Shahba region. The federation (also called Rojava) is considered by its protagonists to be a model for Syria as a whole.^[23] Rojava representatives negotiated successive versions of the region's constitution in 2014,^[5] 2016,^[6] and 2023,^[7] with each version stating that Rojava was part of the Syrian state. The 2023 version named the region's governing system to be the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES).^[7]

In 2016, Rojava's federalisation was dismissed by the Syrian government and disapproved of by Turkey and the United States.^[24]

In September 2016, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, came out in an interview as one of the first regional politicians taking a public stand for the federalization of Syria. He said that the establishment of a federal system in Syria would "guarantee to preserve the institutions and unity" and that a federal system would be "the most appropriate solution and will protect the country from destruction."^[25]

In October 2016, a Russian initiative for federalization with a focus on northern Syria was reported, which at its core called for the existing institutions of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria to be recognised by the Syrian government, which rejected the call.^[26]

After multilateral peace talks in Astana in January 2017, Russia offered a draft for a future constitution of Syria, which would inter alia turn the "Syrian Arab Republic" into the "Republic of Syria", introduce decentralized authorities as well as elements of federalism like "association areas", strengthen the parliament at the cost of the presidency, and realize secularism by abolishing Islamic jurisprudence as a source of legislation.^{[27][28][29][30]} The same month, United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said that "implementation of a Dayton style accord in Syria and introduction of some form of a federal solution in Syria (...) may indeed be the right way forward or the only way forward in the end of all this."^[31]

Post-Assad

Following the late 2024 fall of the Assad regime, Rojava started negotiations with the Syrian transitional government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, with a first meeting on 31 December 2024.^[32] The East Aleppo offensive (2024–2025) led to an eight-point agreement signed on 10 March 2025 between Rojava and the al-Sharaa government, of which the fourth point declared the "integration of all civil and military institutions of North-East Syria into the administration of the Syrian state".^[8] In August 2025, Rojava representatives discussed "democratic integration within a decentralised system for Syria" with US officials and plans for meetings between Rojava and al-Sharaa government representatives continued.^[9]

On 25 August 2025, following the Southern Syria clashes, Hikmat al-Hijri called for autonomy of a Druze region in the Suwayda Governorate, while a Jabal al-Druze spokesperson, Fadi Badriya, stated that the Druze were "demanding independence and separation".^[10]

On 27 August 2025, Alawite representatives declared the creation of the Political Council for Central and Western Syria (PCCWS^[10]), intended to represent residents of Latakia, Tartus, Homs, and parts of Hama, which called for federalisation of Syria. It referred to the al-Sharaa government as a "terrorist system that seized power at a particular political moment".^[33] According to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the PCCWS calls for secular, human rights based administration including executive, legislative and judicial authorities and calls for referring suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity to the International Criminal Court with the aim of transitional justice.^[34]

Historical antecedents

 

Map showing the states of the French Mandate from 1921 to 1922

During the French mandate, Syria was subdivided into various autonomous entities, most of which bore the designation "state" (in French État; in Arabic Dawlat):

• the State of the Alawites
• the Province of Jazira
• the Jabal Druze State (originally called the State of Souaida)
• the State of Aleppo
• the State of Damascus
• the State of Greater Lebanon
• the State of Hatay (originally called the Sanjak of Alexandretta)
• the State of Syria

These autonomous entities did not correspond to the administrative division of Ottoman Syria. France ceded Hatay to Turkey in 1939, and Lebanon became an independent state (separate from the rest of Syria) in 1945.

See also

• Constitution of Syria
• Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria
• Ethnic groups in Syria
• Regions of Rojava
• Religion in Syria
• Sectarianism and minorities in the Syrian Civil War
• Syrian Democratic Forces
• Syrian peace process

Notes

1. Sources:^{[13][14][15][16][17]}

References

1. Michael O'Hanlon (3 September 2015). "How will Syria's war end? Other civil wars suggest an answer". Washington Post.
2. "Is partitioning Syria a viable option?". Global Risk Insights. Archived from the original on 2023-04-30. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
3. "US, Israel Consider 'Balkanization' of Syria: Coalition Source". Syrian Observer. 13 July 2015. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
4. "Syria civil war: Key powers 'consider federal division'". Al Jazeera. March 2016.
5. The Social Contract of the Autonomous Regions of Afrin, Jazira, and Kobane (PDF), Rojava Information Center, 29 January 2014, Wikidata Q135455332, archived (PDF) from the original on 12 June 2025
6. Social Contract of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria (PDF), 29 December 2016, Wikidata Q135457489, archived (PDF) from the original on 25 July 2025
7. Social Contract of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the North and East Syria Region, December 2023, Wikidata Q135457503, archived from the original on 24 July 2025
8. "SDF, Damascus govt sign eight-point agreement". Hawar News Agency. 10 March 2025. Wikidata Q133871715. Archived from the original on 14 April 2025.
9. "Jordan meeting explores Syria's stability through integration, decentralization". Hawar News Agency. 28 August 2025. Wikidata Q135990184. Archived from the original on 28 August 2025.
10. "Alawite, Druze political movements emerge following sectarian violence in Syria". Rudaw Media Network. 28 August 2025. Wikidata Q135989851. Archived from the original on 28 August 2025.
11. Zeina Karam; Dan Perry (29 September 2015). "Partitioning Syria may be the only answer to a devastating civil war with no end in sight". National Post.
12. Duran, Burhanettin (2016). "The Question of Federalism in Syria". SETA. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023.
13. Sheikho, Kamal (1 April 2016). "Who opposes Syrian Kurdish self-rule?". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021.
14. Said, Nebehay, Rodi, Stephanie (16 March 2016). "Kurdish moves on federalism cloud Syria peace drive". Reuters. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016.
15. Arafat, Hisham (31 March 2016). "President Assad: 'Most Syrian Kurds reject federalism'". Kurdistan 24. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023.
16. "Assad: I cannot give Kurds federalism". rudaw. 14 October 2016. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017.
17. "Federal region of "Rojava-North Syria" proclaimed". Nationalia. 17 March 2016. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016.
18. "Arab League rejects Kurd-led moves for federal Syria". Ahramonline. 21 March 2016. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023.
19. Ziadeh, Radwan (13 March 2017). "Why Federalism Is a Bad Idea for Syria". Arab Center Washington DC. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023.
20. Sources:
    • Arafat, Hisham (31 March 2016). "President Assad: 'Most Syrian Kurds reject federalism'". Kurdistan 24. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023.
    • "Federal region of "Rojava-North Syria" proclaimed". Nationalia. 17 March 2016. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016.
    • Sheikho, Kamal (1 April 2016). "Who opposes Syrian Kurdish self-rule?". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021.
    • "Syria civil war: Key powers 'consider federal division'". Al Jazeera. March 2016.
21. "Agreement for the future of Syria". ANF. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
22. "Unlikely partners join forces to lead by example in Syriaa". Al-Monitor. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
23. "ANALYSIS: 'This is a new Syria, not a new Kurdistan'". Middle East Eye. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
24. "Syria conflict: Kurds declare federal system". BBC News. 17 March 2016.
25. "أمين جامعة الدول العربية: النظام الفدرالي هو الحل الأنسب لسوريا". ARA News. 28 September 2016. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016.
26. "Syria rejects Russian proposal for Kurdish federation". Al-Monitor. 24 October 2016.
27. "Syria Opposition Rejects Russian Draft of New Constitution". Bloomberg. 25 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
28. "Syrian draft constitution recognizes Kurdish language, no mentions of federalism". Rudaw. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
29. "رووداو تنشر مسودة الدستور السوري التي أعدها خبراء روس". Rudaw. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
30. "Moscow invites Kurds and Syrian opposition to explain Astana". ARA News. 26 January 2017. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
31. "UK Foreign Secretary says federalism best solution for Syria". ARA News. 27 January 2017. Archived from the original on January 27, 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
32. "Syria's de facto leader al-Sharaa holds talks with Kurds". The New Arab. 2024-12-31. Archived from the original on 2025-08-28. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
33. "Council formed in western Syria calls for federalism as path to peace". Hawar News Agency. 27 August 2025. Wikidata Q135989769. Archived from the original on 28 August 2025.
34. "New step towards federalism – Political council led by Alawite founders set to be announced in Syrian coast". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 27 August 2025. Wikidata Q135989790. Archived from the original on 28 August 2025.

External links

• Kheder Khaddour (28 March 2017). "Local Wars and the Chance for Decentralized Peace in Syria". Carnegie Middle East Center.
• Semih Idiz (1 February 2017). "Turkey squeezed between Russia, US in Syria". Al-Monitor.
• "No Going Back: Why decentralisation is the future for Syria" (PDF). European Council on Foreign Relations. September 2016.
• "Syria: Opinions and Attitudes on Federalism, Decentralization, and the experience of the Democratic Self-Administration". The Day After (TDA). April 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
• Fabrice Balanche (3 December 2015). "Ethnic Cleansing Threatens Syria's Unity". The Washington Institute.
• "Partition: It's time to recognise reality in Syria". London School of Economics and Political Science, USAPP. 3 October 2015.
• "Deconstructing Syria: Towards a regionalized strategy for a confederal country". Brookings. 23 June 2015.
• Khaddour, K.; Mazur, K. (2013). "The Struggle for Syria's Regions". Middle East Report. 43: 269–.