Damascus' Sunni consolidation ends Kurdish autonomy in northeast
Syrian Interior Ministry forces' entry into Qamishli marks the effective end of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and signals a plan to gradually fold Kurdish institutions into Damascus's centralized state, as Syria shifts to Sunni Arab dominance backed by Turkey and other allies. The regime's ascent changes power dynamics without erasing Kurdish identity; Kurds and other minorities will seek to maintain separate armed structures and external links while facing a less autonomous future and potential repressive practices mirrored from the past.