A Crisis of Exclusion

The recent escalation in the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah signals a troubling return to a politics of exclusion, where civilians—particularly minorities—are treated as collateral damage rather than citizens deserving protection.

What we are witnessing today is a serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Syria. Attacks have increased, casualties are mounting, and the number of wounded and killed continues to rise. Kurds, like many other minorities across the country, are paying the price for military escalation and political deadlock. Entire neighborhoods have been placed under siege-like conditions, with civilians trapped amid shelling, displacement, and the collapse of basic services.

The Failure of Dialogue

This is not merely a security crisis; it is a moral and political failure. Attempts are reportedly underway to organize meetings between the concerned parties, yet these efforts remain incomplete and ineffective. The Syrian Democratic Forces have expressed readiness to engage in dialogue, but their attempts to meet the other side have so far received no response.

Families are being forced to flee, often with no safe corridors and little access to food, water, or medical care. Hospitals struggle to function, schools have closed, and daily life has been reduced to survival. Women, children, and the elderly are the most vulnerable, yet they remain the least protected.

Military Escalation Under Turkish Supervision

According to the Kurdistan National Congress, within the last two weeks, the government in Damascus has resorted to violence against Kurdish settlements. The attacks have extended to the Beni Zeyd neighborhoods of Aleppo.

Under Turkish supervision, Syrian Ministry of Defence forces have deployed comprehensive heavy weaponry, including tanks, heavy artillery, Grad and Katyusha rocket launchers, mortars, and DShK heavy machine guns. Additionally, suicide drone attacks and weapons with high destructive capacity have been utilized. The attacks are being carried out mainly by Turkish state-backed armed groups including Hemzat, Emşat, Sultan Murad, and Nureddin Zengi.

Centuries of Kurdish Presence

The 500,000 Kurds in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah have lived in Aleppo for centuries. Current policies, the motive of which being ethnic cleansing, will lead Syria into a new escalation. For some time, diplomatic negotiations with international mediation have been ongoing for the democratic integration of the SDF into the Syrian Ministry of Defence. However, whenever progress is visible, regional states such as Turkey intervene; activating proxies in the HTS circle that are loyal to the Syrian government, who then attack Kurdish civilians militarily.

The Price of War

The people of Syria have suffered enough from war. The people of Syria, especially the Kurds, Arabs, Armenians, and Assyrians in northeastern Syria and Rojava, have paid a high price for their freedom against ISIS. Having experienced brutal persecution, Alawites and Druze also need peace.

Believing that violence can force the Kurds to make concessions may be wishful thinking. We recall the years of fighting against the Islamic State, which used all forms of violence and yet was defeated by the Kurds. The Syrian government should refrain from serving as a proxy for regional states such as Turkey.

The Choice Before Us

Syria’s future cannot be built on sieges, exclusion, or the marginalization of minorities. Without dialogue, there will be no stability. Without a ceasefire, there will be no protection for civilians. And without international engagement, the cycle of violence will continue unchecked.

Aleppo’s Kurds are under fire today, but the consequences of this escalation will not stop at their neighborhoods. A return to exclusionary politics threatens the fragile hopes of all Syrians who long for peace after years of war.

The choice is stark and immediate: dialogue and protection of civilians, or yet another descent into chaos.