After Rojava: What’s Next for the Kurds?

Dramatic developments in Syria have delivered a major blow to Kurdish ambitions for self-rule. In a rapid offensive, Damascus moved into northeast Syria, forcing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) out and effectively dismantling the autonomous region the Kurds had built during the civil war. For the Kurds, this is more than a battlefield setback—it is a historic turning point. The Syrian uprising opened an unprecedented window: a long-repressed minority governed itself, gained international legitimacy through the fight against ISIS, and helped reignite Kurdish nationalism across the region. That experiment is now unraveling. So what does this mean for the future of the Kurds—not only in Syria, but across Turkey, Iraq, and Iran? Does the collapse of Kurdish autonomy weaken Kurdish nationalism, or deepen it? And what comes next for the Kurdish struggle for rights, representation, and democracy?