But the Alawites aren't a religious group, they are an ethnicity. You can't become an Alawite. It is more similar to Jews in Europe.

This is a big difference. Atheist Kemalist might have children that vote AKP and vice versa. As you said, it is politics. Similarly Sunnis might have children that convert to Shia Islam and vice versa.

But if you are Sunni, Shia, Atheist, Kemalist, you can't convert to become an Alawite. This is very problematic. This means, that no matter what an Arab Sunni might try, he will never be able to become part of the Group that is ruling.

That is even worse than the situation with the Kurds in Turkey. The Kemalist facilitated the Turkinization of Kurds. That means, someone who is Kurdish, could, if he wanted (very often he doesn't), become "Turkish" and join CHP and AKP, etc.

Kurds are a minority in Turkey, and they can become part of the ruling roup. But in Syria Arab Sunnis are the majority, and they can't. And the second and third largest groups aren't even Alawites, they are Kurds and Chritians. Syria faces / faced a huge big problem, that very few countries face.

Are the Alawites as fault? Not necesarily. Sykes-Picot drew borders that are dumb as hell. The french considered creating an independent Alawite State (if I recall correctly) and it made a lot of sense. If the Alawites would have ruled that state, that could work. Though it was never realistic.

In the end Syria became a centralized state, which is the most impractical thing possible. The Kurds have no say, the Alawaite officially don't exist*, and everyone is oppressed, because they have to follow one central line.

This turned into a rant :)

Alawites officially don't exist in Syria. They are muslims on their IDs. Similarly Alevis don't exist in Turkey*, they are muslims on their Ids (If I recall correctly).

**Ironically it is the AKP (islamists) that gave alevis the right to be an independent religious group and gave them Cem Houses, something they were not allowed to have before.