Attacks targeting the Alawite community in Syria have reached the level of massacres. Killings, abductions, village raids, and forced displacement in Homs, Latakia, Tartus, and surrounding areas have effectively eliminated the Alawite population’s security of life and property.
Researcher and writer Aziz Tunç said the events unfolding in Syria are not isolated incidents but the result of a planned and systematic policy of destruction.
Tunç said that attacks against Alawites intensified following the collapse of the Assad regime and the rise to power of radical jihadist groups in Damascus. He added that recent assaults have entered a new phase, carried out through the coordination of both the interim Damascus government and radical armed groups.
Tunç said that since March, the attacks have taken on a directly genocidal character, adding that claims presented to the international public suggesting the assaults had been “limited or prevented” do not reflect reality.
Tunç said: “Attacks against Alawites never stopped. Individual homes were raided and looted; women and children were abducted; people were killed in the streets in broad daylight. Throughout this process, villages were plundered and Alawites were forced to live under a constant climate of fear.”
Alawite organization emerged out of necessity
Aziz Tunç said that under these conditions, Alawites were left with no option other than resistance. He noted that reactions developing in Europe, Turkey, and Kurdistan have also had an impact on resistance on the ground. Tunç said the struggle put forward by the Kurdish autonomous structure in Rojava and by the Druze has served as an important source of morale and experience for Alawites.
Tunç said, “Druze are resisting, and Kurds are supporting them. Kurds provide morale through their example of resistance and struggle. Alawites did not resist for a period, but this vacuum became visible. Alawites reorganized themselves. The process that began with a five-day strike revealed the will of the people despite all repression.”
Tunç added that Alawite resistance is not limited to street protests alone, but also includes a broader process of internal organization, solidarity, and the clarification of political demands within the Alawite community.
Federation and decentralization are legitimate demands
Aziz Tunç said one of the most significant outcomes of the resistance has been the clarification of political demands. He stated that Alawites will no longer accept a centralized system of rule in Syria and that turning toward a decentralized model would produce positive results for the entire country.
Tunç said: “The Druze are demanding a federation, the Kurds are demanding a federation, and Alawites are now openly expressing the same demand. This represents a historic step that can block the path of the radical jihadist dictatorship being imposed in Syria. This demand does not concern Alawites alone; it represents the prospect of a democratic future for all peoples of Syria. A federative structure will strengthen coexistence among the peoples.”
Tunç said the resistance developed by Alawites will not only reshape internal balances in Syria, but will also influence regional and international politics.
Tunç added that ISIS and similar structures have no genuine social base in Syria and are sustained only through external support. He said: “Today, Arabs, Kurds, Druze, and other peoples and faith communities in Syria do not support these structures. With the Alawite resistance, the social ground of these forces has completely collapsed. International actors can no longer ignore the resistance emerging from the Alawite community. The United States, European countries, Russia, and regional actors will be forced to reassess their policies on Syria based on this new reality.”
This resistance should not be seen only as an Alawite struggle for survival
Aziz Tunç said the resistance developed by Alawites represents a dynamic that could open the way to a democratic future in Syria.
Tunç also said: “This resistance cannot be viewed solely as a struggle for Alawite survival. It is the struggle for a democratic Syria, for a future in which peoples can live equally and freely. If this is achieved, not only Syria but the entire region will change.
Countries such as Europe, the United States, Israel, and Russia are effectively treating Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a legitimate governing authority, but it is becoming clear that this approach is not sustainable. It is also evident that they do not fully trust HTS or attribute long-term legitimacy to it. It is well known that HTS and its leadership have no real social support among the peoples of Syria. It is equally clear that HTS remains standing through the power and backing of the Turkish state.
Seeing this reality, other state actors will likely adopt a more distant approach toward HTS due to the impact of Alawite resistance. Considering the stance of Druze and Kurds, they may place greater distance between themselves and HTS. At the same time, they may push HTS to consider the demands of Alawites, Kurds, and Druze.”
He added: “Under these conditions, the demand for a democratic federation in Syria could also become a reality that HTS is forced to accept, potentially leading to developments in this direction. If this does not happen and the attacks continue to intensify, it will further limit HTS’s ability to govern. These attacks will not save HTS; they will not save Ahmed al-Sharaa (Al-Jolani), and they will not save the Turkish state.
If international powers choose to position themselves in a way that supports HTS’s attacks on Alawites at the level of international relations, this will not save HTS either. They will not be able to suppress the resistance of Alawites, nor that of Kurds and Druze. In such a case, the formation of a democratic Syria would merely be delayed, and the process would become more difficult. However, it is highly likely that international powers will recognize the Alawite resistance and take it into account. Based on this, they may reassess and alter their support for HTS in Syria.”
Tunç said the resistance demonstrated by Alawites could have consequences extending beyond Syria itself, and he called on democratic public opinion and Alawites living in Europe and Turkey to support this resistance.