Syria's government needs to centralise decision-making and bring armed groups to heel, but Kurds in the north-east want to establish a 'coalition of the unwilling' with Druze and Alawites. What now?

The award-winning Turkish novelist tells Al Majalla about the importance of literary expression and why he chose to write his next book in his mother tongue of Kurdish

The educational system in northeastern Syria is independent of other Syrian regions, which are controlled by the Syrian regime or its opposition forces. Its focus is linguistic and cultural diversity.

Competent administration of the autonomous regions of north-east Syria has Ankara concerned about precedents the Kurds are setting for self-government

The bloodshed and brutality of Syria's long war have re-cast allegiances, with tens of thousands of Arabs fighting for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces

In a wide-ranging interview with Al Majalla, one of the key figures in Syria's politics speaks out on diplomacy, the PKK's Abdullah Öcalan and the state of his own alliance with the US

There is widespread concern that the US has ultimately gotten what it needs from the SDF following the defeat of IS and will, therefore, prioritise its alliance with Turkey — a Nato member.