With the announcement of US President Donald Trump to lift all the sanctions imposed on Syria, attention is directed to the northern and eastern regions of Syria under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which are known as the areas of “self -management”, Which contains most of Syria’s wealth, which are the areas that have suffered from the sanctions despite its distance from the center of power.
“Bushra political and economic”
The Kurdish leaders in the decision saw “political and economic news”, and the Kurdish Unity Party secretary, Mohiuddin Sheikh Ale, stressed that the move represents an opportunity to alleviate the suffering of people and enhance food security and job opportunities, “but it remains conditional on constitutional reforms that respect the rights of the Kurds within the unity of the country,” as he put it.
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And Trump announced during his visit to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, last Tuesday, his intention to lift US sanctions on Syria, in a move he said aimed at “providing a new opportunity for Syria.”
Nasruddin Ibrahim, Secretary of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria, stressed in an interview with Al -Jazeera Net that “any economic openness needs political stability and ensuring the rights of the Syrian components,” warning of the regime’s reproduction without fundamental reforms.
For his part, a spokesman for the Kurdish National Council, Faisal Youssef, in an interview with Al -Jazeera Net called for transparent partnerships that guarantee the distribution of support, calling for a democratic state “no central, respect human rights and devoted national rights,” as he put it.
It is noteworthy that the US sanctions on Syria began in 1979, after the classification of Washington, Damascus, a “sponsor of terrorism” state, and later expanded with the outbreak of the revolution in 2011, to the “Caesar Law” in 2019.
But with the fall of the ousted Syrian President Bashar al -Assad in December 2024, the new Syrian administration pushed the sanctions, and considered this a condition for the advancement and stability.
What can change?
Despite the optimism that prevailed in northeastern Syria, economic experts believe that the road is still long and complex.
Economic researcher, Khorshid Alika, pointed out in an interview with Al -Jazeera Net that “the areas of self -management were affected by the sanctions despite their administrative independence from Damascus, because of its economic association with the Syrian state, the dependence of its residents on the Syrian pound, in addition to the imposed siege.”
Alkka stressed that lifting the sanctions opens the door to great investment opportunities, especially in the oil, gas, agriculture and livestock sectors, noting that international companies can return to the region.
But he warned that “the absence of political compatibility between self -administration and Damascus, and the weak infrastructure, represent two main obstacles to any real economic openness,” adding that “mutual political recognition is a fundamental condition for attracting investments and achieving sustainable development.”
As for the economic analyst, Dr. Shadi Ahmed, he saw in an interview with Al -Jazeera Net that the northern and eastern regions of Syria have rich natural resources, especially in the oil and agriculture sectors, and produce a large surplus of wheat, and possess good water sources, indicating that the standard of living in it was relatively better than the rest of the Syrian regions.
But he points out that despite the resources, “there are no real opportunities to attract foreign or local capital due to political anxiety and lack of clarity in the future of self -management, which leads investors to wait,” he said.
Ahmed believes that investment will remain limited in the absence of an official agreement with Damascus that guarantees recognition of self -administration.
He adds that the absence of a marine outlet and the conflict of regional interests deeply deepens the region’s isolation, warning that irregular capital may take advantage of chaos, while real investment remains hostage to major political consensus.
Despite the apparent improvement in the exchange rate of the Syrian lira by 23%, experts question the sustainability of this recovery. Without structural reforms, solid infrastructure, and a clear political environment, the lifting of sanctions may remain a more symbolic action than a actual shift.
Northeast Syria opportunities appear to be pending between popular optimism and the complex economic reality, pending not yet crystallized political settlements, according to observers.
