Master International and European Public Law: Human Rights Syrian Kurds: The Kurdish drive for self-determination in the wake of the Syrian civil war Sozdar Shalal August 2018 A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of International and European Law: Human Rights Faculty of Law Tilburg University, the Netherlands Master International and European Public Law: Human Rights Syrian Kurds: The Kurdish drive for self-determination in the wake of the Syrian civil war Author Sozdar Shalal Anr S344803 Supervisor Mr.dr. A.K. Meijknecht Second reader Prof.dr.mr. N.M.C.P. Jägers Date August 20, 2018 Master Dissertation Closing Master International and European Law: Human Rights Tilburg University 3 Central question ‘’To what extent does the right to self-determination provide in the aspirations of the Kurds in Syria within the rules and standards of international law?’’ Master Dissertation Closing Master International and European Law: Human Rights Faculty of Law Tilburg University 5 Foreword This dissertation is written as an assignment for the course Master International and European Law. It contains the research proposal for the thesis Master International and European Law: Human Rights track. This course is part and forms the completion of the Master phase at the University of Tilburg. At this writing, the situation of the Kurds is continuously altering, and the war in Syria still ongoing. This dissertation is completed on August 20, 2018. Developments taken place beyond this date will for this reason not be taken into account. Abstract With the outbreak of the Arab Spring in 2011, it seemed that the political scene in the Arab world was going to be determined by movements who, by way of peaceful mass protests and political organizations, strive for democratic rights and personal freedoms. The emergence of the Syrian civil war, the instability in Iraq and the rise and territorial expansion of the so called Islamic State, however, present that the revolutions created conflicts and even more authoritarian regimes. For the Kurds it heated up the Kurdish issue. Specifically, for the Kurds in Syria, where as a result of the unrest, the regime in power had to step down, giving way to aspirations of the Kurds in the light of the right to self-determination. This thesis seeks to shed light on these developments, and hence the aim of this thesis is twofold. First, it attempts to define a legal framework of the right to self- determination within the rules and standards of international law. Secondly, it investigates the emergence of the Syrian civil war and its influences on the aspirations of the Syrian Kurds to the right to self-determination. The results of the study suggest that the claim of internal of self- determination is likely to be supported by the international community, under the rules and standards of international law, and that the aspiration to the external right to self-determination through secession might not be omitted in the future. 7 Acknowledgement I would like to thank my thesis supervisor Ms. Anna Meijknecht, for guiding me through the process of writing my thesis. She consistently allowed this paper to be my own work, but steered me in the right direction whenever she thought I needed it. Her comments, questions and relaxed, thoughtful insight were very beneficial in the completion of this thesis. I would furthermore like to express my profound gratitude to my parents, Amne Abdulkarim Abbas and Sleman Xaleb Abbas, for providing me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study and through the process of researching and writing my dissertations. I shall be ever grateful to my parents for the opportunity they provided for me to study and without whom I never would have enjoyed so many opportunities. My sincere gratitude to my father for his endless love, support and inspiration. Without you, I never would have finished two Master Studies. I am forever indebted for your encouragement. A special thanks to Claudia Manuputty, for her help and motivation in finishing this thesis. Without her drive and support of me, this thesis would still have been unfinished. Last but not least, I would like to thank my siblings, for trusting and supporting me throughout my years of study and without whom I have struggled to find the inspiration and motivation needed to complete my dissertations. Your friendships make my life a wonderful experience. ّﺃﻭﺩ ﺍﻥ ﺁﻫﺩﻱ ﻫﺫﻩ ﺍﻻﻁﺭﻭﺣﺔ ﻟﻭﺍﻟﺩﻱ ﻭﻭﺍﻟﺩﺗﻲ ﻟﺣﺑﻬﻡ، ﻭﻟﻠﺩﻋﻡ ﻭﺍﻟﺗﺷﺟﻳﻊ ﺍﻟﻼ ﻣﺣﺩﻭﺩ. ﺳﺄﻛﻭﻥ ﻟﻸﺑﺩ ﻣﻣﺗﻧﺎ ﻟﻭﺍﻟﺩﻱ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻔﺭﺹ ﺍﻟﺗﻲ ﻭﻓﺭﻫﺎ ﻟﻲ ﻟﻠﺩﺭﺍﺳﺔ ﻭﺑﺩﻭﻧﻬﻡ ﻟﻡ ﺃﻛﻥ ﻗﺩ ﺃﺳﺗﻣﺗﻌﺕ ﺃﺑﺩﺍ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻌﺩﻳﺩ ﻣﻥ ﺍﻟﻔﺭﺹ. ﺍﻧﺎ ﺃﺣﺏ ﺍﻥ ﺍﺷﻛﺭ ﺃﺧﻲ ﻭﺃﺧﻭﺍﺗﻲ ﺍﻟﻣﺫﻫﻠﻳﻥ ﺍﻟﺫﻳﻥ ﻫﻡ ﺍﻛﺛﺭ ﻣﻥ ﺍﺳﻡ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﺛﻘﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﺩﻋﻡ ﻁﻳﻠﺔ ﻓﺗﺭﺓ ﺩﺭﺍﺳﺗﻲ، ﻭﻗﺩ ﺟﺎﻫﺩﺕ ﻟﻠﻌﺛﻭﺭ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻹﻟﻬﺎﻡ ﻭﺍﻟﺩﻭﺍﻓﻊ ﺍﻟﻼﺯﻣﺔ ﻵﺳﺗﻛﻣﺎﻝ ﻫﺫﻩ ﺍﻟﺭﺳﺎﻟﺔ. ﺻﺩﺍﻗﺗﻛﻡ ﺗﺟﻌﻝ ﺣﻳﺎﺗﻲ ﺗﺟﺭﺑﺔ ﻣﻣﺗﻌﺔ. To my parents Content Foreword ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Acknowledgement......................................................................................................................................... 8 Abbreviations .............................................................................................................................................. 11 Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 13 I. Background ..................................................................................................................................... 13 II. Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 15 III. Research question ....................................................................................................................... 16 IV. The theoretical framework .......................................................................................................... 17 V. Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 17 VI. Structure...................................................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 2 Legal Framework of self-determination ...................................................................................... 19 2.1 From Principle to Right ...................................................................................................................... 19 2.2 Internal Self-determination ............................................................................................................... 24 2.2.1 Representative Government ...................................................................................................... 25 2.3 External self-determination ............................................................................................................... 28 2.3.1 Dissolution, Reunion or merger .................................................................................................. 28 2.3.2 Secession .................................................................................................................................... 30 2.4 Holders of the right to self-determination ........................................................................................ 35 2.5 Ethnic Minorities & Peoples .............................................................................................................. 39 Interim conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 3 The Kurds in Syria & the opportunities provided by the Syrian civil war .................................... 45 3.1 An historical background ................................................................................................................... 45 3.2 The Syrian civil war ............................................................................................................................ 52 3.2.1 The rise of Kurdish nationalism .................................................................................................. 55 Interim conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 59 9 Chapter 4 Syrian Kurds: autonomy and remedial secession........................................................................ 61 4.1 Internal self-Determination ............................................................................................................... 62 4.2 External Self determination ............................................................................................................... 64 4.3 Impact ................................................................................................................................................ 68 4.4 People & Minorities ........................................................................................................................... 70 Interim Conclusion .................................................................................................................................