Control of large parts of Syria's north east is now in the hands of the Democratic Union Party - the main Kurdish party in the region.<br /><br />About 2 million Kurds live in the area, making up 10 per cent of the population. There are also significant Kurdish populations in Turkey and Iraq and more in Iran.<br /><br />In Syria, the Kurds suffered discrimination and loss of culture under the ruling Baathist party since the 1960s. Many were granted citizenship only last year by President Assad, after the uprising started.<br /><br />As Assad's stretched security forces left parts of the north east, Kurdish committees have taken more control.<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid is the first international reporter to travel to the region since the uprising began last March.
