Syria Kurds warm up to new leaders but fear for hard-won gains

Syria's Kurds face "mounting pressure from the Turkish government and factions under its control," he said, as Ankara-backed fighters seized two Kurdish-held areas in the north during the militant offensive.

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Kurdish authorities have made overtures to Islamist-led militants who seized power in Syria last week, but the long-oppressed community fears it could lose hard-won gains it made during the war, including limited self-rule.

The Kurds faced discrimination during more than 50 years of Assad family rule. They were barred, for example, from offering education in their own language.

As militants led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) seized power, ousting president Bashar Assad, the Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria have multiplied overtures to the new leaders, like adopting the three-starred flag used by the opposition.