Battle Lines America's Kurdish betrayal: has ISIS been given a second chance?
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Jan 26, 2026 Dr Burcu Ozcelik, RUSI Middle East security expert, explains Kurdish politics and recent territorial losses. Sophia Yan, The Telegraph correspondent, shares on‑the‑ground reporting from Syria. They discuss the rapid rollback of Kurdish-held areas, the fate of ISIS detainees and prison camps, shifting US involvement, and regional players reshaping northern Syria.
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SDF Territorial Losses Were Strategic, Not Sudden
- The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) lost long-held territory after a rapid political and military reversal.
- The rollback followed stalled integration talks and shifting US preference toward state-to-state relations.
Rojava Was A PKK-Inspired Experiment
- Rojava was an experiment influenced by PKK ideology and democratic confederalism.
- It emerged after Assad's forces withdrew in 2012 and became the SDF's territorial backbone.
On-the-Ground View Of Rojava In 2019
- Sophia Yan described visiting Rojava in 2019 and seeing an almost state-like administration.
- She said the area operated in many ways like its own country at the end of the ISIS offensive.