In this photo of Palestine Street in Hasaka, Syria, the
government-controlled stores sit on the right and Kurdish-controlled
stores sit on the left, March 22, 2024 [photo credit: Sirwan Kajjo]
The Kurdish-led AANES established a governing system that is separate
from that of the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad. Its
rules and regulations are enforced by an expansive security apparatus
that includes traffic police, general security forces, anti-terror units
and other agencies, some of which were trained by the United States and
other Western countries.
But the aspects of control and governance here are not
straightforward. And the situation of Hasaka's Palestine Street offers a
glimpse into the very complex and delicate power dynamics in this part
of Syria.
“Taxes from store owners on this street are collected by two
different tax authorities, depending on what side of the street your
store is,” said the owner of an electronics store on the
Kurdish-controlled side of Palestine Street, a name given to the street
by the ruling Baath Party as a sign of support for the Palestinians.
The Syrian government and AANES have different holiday calendars, and respective observances are manifested on this street.
“When there is a holiday observed by the Autonomous Administration,
all stores on our side close their doors, while the others on that side
remain open, and vice versa,” the store owner said, pointing to the
Syrian-controlled side across the street.
There are only a few steps between a Syrian government-manned
checkpoint and its Kurdish counterpart, distinguished by the different
uniforms worn by the soldiers on each side.
The narrow kilometre-long street leads to what is known as the
Security Square, a small pocket that is one of the last areas under the
control of government forces in Hasaka. The rest of the city is
controlled by Kurdish forces.
Not far from the city center is a major U.S. military outpost, one of
several military installations established by the United States as part
of its anti-IS partnership with the SDF.
The U.S. has about 900 troops stationed throughout northeast Syria.
They have been instrumental in assisting and advising local Kurdish
forces in the fight against IS remnants.
But the U.S. is not the only foreign power that has soldiers on the
ground here. In the government-controlled pocket in Hasaka and several
other areas, Russia, a strong backer of Assad’s government, has
established a foothold.
Most of Moscow’s troops were deployed to the region in 2019 following
a partial U.S. troop withdrawal that led to a Turkish invasion of parts
of northeast Syria. Turkey, which considers the SDF a terrorist
organization, has a significant presence in the region after several
ground operations against the Kurdish forces.
The presence of so many foreign and local forces, most of whom have
been vying for control of this region, has forced local Kurdish
authorities to strike a balance, particularly with Syrian government
forces, to keep the peace in a country otherwise embroiled in conflict.
Palestine Street represents an uneasy political detente between a
nascent governing entity that seeks to thrive against all odds and a
weakened central government trying to re-establish a bygone authority.
It is also a tangible reminder of Syria’s more than decade long conflict
that is yet to be settled.
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