UN Peace Talks on Syria Will Fail Without North and East Syria
If we remain excluded, democratic Syria may just refuse to accept the results of the peace talks. We must be included if these talks are expected to succeed.Continue Reading
Would Iraq or Syria be next?
Many are joining in the wishful thinking for a Kabul encore in North and East Syria. But this will never happen before a genuine peace treaty is established that transcends what is falsely projected as an internal Syrian affair.Continue Reading
With the Eyes of the World on Afghanistan, Turkey is Killing US Allies in Syria
As long as Turkey can hide behind their label as a NATO member state without consequence, they will continue to target genocide survivors, prominent anti-ISIS commanders, and advocates for womens rights in the region – targeted simply because of their ethnicity and belief in a democratic future for their country.Continue Reading
Turkey is Falsifying an Ottoman Archaeological Site in Afrin, Syria
Turkey seems to be trying to fabricate an ancient religious site called Nebi Huri, about 35 miles (45 kilometers) outside of Afrin, Syria, in the region of Syria occupied by the Turkish military and their proxies. They are replacing current Kurdish features with structures in the Ottoman style and destroying ancient Roman features of the site. Continue Reading
In Preventing an ISIS Resurgence, Money Matters
If stabilization and development assistance were taken more seriously, we would be well positioned to prevent another ISIS resurgence in the region formerly claimed by ISIS as their “caliphate.”Continue Reading
Children Dead After Turkish Military Bombing in Violation of International Law
This “terrorism fallacy” in the logic of international law is being erroneously applied to the people of North and East Syria. There can be no clearer picture of this error than the images of dead children and a one-year-old baby girl in a hospital in Raqqa — dead at the hands of Turkey.Continue Reading
US Troop Presence in North and East Syria Will Continue, says Top DOD Official
“The Biden administration is committed to retaining US military presence in northeast Syria,” said Ms. Dana Stroul, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East. “It is also committed to addressing the humanitarian crisis.”Continue Reading
The Breadbasket for Our People Cannot Fail
When everyday people do not even have water to drink, farmers do not have water for their fields. Wheat crops are failing.Continue Reading
After Ten Years of War, Hope for a Democratic Syria is Alive and Well
In the wake of the redrafting of its social contract, the democratic, diverse, and egalitarian system of the AANES has continued to keep the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people alive in the face of jihadist terror and Ba’athist repression.Continue Reading
Expert David Pollock Comments on North and East Syria
“I hope the Syrian Kurds and their local partners continue to prioritize their friendship with the US, and their relations with the relatively successful autonomous Kurdistan Region right across the border in Iraq.”Continue Reading
President Macron of France Meets with Officials from North and East Syria
Macron, Ahmed, and other officials discussed peace talks on Syria and the need for the democratic project in North and East Syria to be supported.Continue Reading
UN Security Council Vote Leaves Key al-Yaroubiah Border Crossing Closed
The United Nations Security Council voted on July 9, 2021, to keep one UN humanitarian border crossing, Bab al-Hawa. The other major UN humanitarian crossings, Bab al Salam and al-Yaroubiah, remain closed. Russia was the UNSC member who blocked the re-opening of Bab al Salam and al-Yaroubiah. The closure ofContinue Reading
SDC and AANES Officials Join High-Level International Religious Freedom Event in US
“We are proud to be a place where all faiths — Yezidi, Syriac, Assyrian, Chaldean Christians, Armenians, Muslims, and others — can practice their faith openly and even change their religion if they choose to do so,” said Bedran Ciya Kurd, AANES.Continue Reading
Campaign for North and East Syria Recognition Goes Viral
A social media campaign that raged through Twitter last week called for recognition for North and East Syria. The campaign coincided with the anniversary of the proclamation of the Rojava Revolution. It was promoted by some of the most visible figures from North and East Syria and was rooted byContinue Reading
US Senate Committee Members Voice Concern Over Turkey
“Erdogan sees his country as on par with the great powers of the world. It is not,” said Senator Bob Menendez.Continue Reading
Searching for a Meaningful Democracy in Syria
I found true democracy in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the Syrian Democratic Council… None of this was apparent in 2011, when the Syrian civil uprising caused me to become a political refugee, fleeing my home with only a laptop and the clothes on my back.Continue Reading
Freedom of Expression is a Pillar of Human Rights
Authoritarian governments seek to silence critics and jail the opposition. Democracies protect the human right to free speech.Continue Reading
Euphrates River Dry Due to Turkey’s Brutal Occupation, Withholding Water
The weaponization of water by Turkey has exacerbated the regional crisis, worsened the economic situation in Syria’s breadbasket, and placed millions of Syrians at risk of disease and death.Continue Reading
Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Meets, Renews Commitment to “Partner Forces”
Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS met in Rome on Monday, June 28, 2021. Participants included US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. They issued a joint statement that reiterated their commitment to fight ISIS…Continue Reading
Independence Day Regards from the US Mission of the Syrian Democratic Council
May our shared democratic spirit unite the people of Syria and the people of the United States as we work together to bring true democracy – dignity, peace, and equality – across the globe.Continue Reading
A New Face of Genocide: Settlements in Afrin, Syria
Turkey seeks to make it impossible for the Kurdish people to return to their homes by settling new people in the region. When will it become clear to the international community that this is exactly what genocide looks like?Continue Reading
Influential Think Tank Makes Recommendations to Biden Administration on North and East Syria
The report makes key recommendations to US officials, including a policy of “conditional engagement” toward Turkey and an increase in the US troop level from 1,500 to 2,000 troops in the region.Continue Reading
Exhibition of Local Products Aims to Strengthen Domestic Economies
An exhibition of local industries in North and East Syria was held with the aim of supporting self-sufficiency, bolstering the local economy, encouraging investment, and providing job opportunities in the local market.Continue Reading
Self-Sufficiency and Cooperation: How North and East Syria’s Cooperatives Seek to Empower Local Economies
Economic cooperatives have been a major initiative promoted by the AANES as a means of promoting equality, self-sufficiency, and cooperation amongst the various ethnicities and religions, as well as genders.Continue Reading
North and East Syria Sees First COVID-19 Vaccinations
At least 23,000 doses of the vaccine have arrived in North and East Syria. They have been distributed among the elderly, internally displaced persons at camps, medical personnel, and individuals in at-risk communities.Continue Reading
AANES Executive Board Meets to Discuss Issues of the Day
The gathering emphasized the inhumanity of Turkey in cutting off water to Syria and called for influential states to intervene in the Syrian and United Nations to deter Turkey from these immoral practices.Continue Reading
A Constituent Meeting Of ISIS Victims Platform In North And East Syria
The platform represents the voice of the victims and aims to bring the suffering of all those affected by the terrorist organization ISIS to international forums, in order to establish fair trials for the perpetrators of these crimes.Continue Reading
Delegations from Catalonia and France Visit North and East Syria
Discussions ranged from the water shortages resulting from Turkey’s inhumane cutting off of water to North and East Syria, as well as the closure of border crossings and the widespread human rights violations in Turkish-occupied regions. Continue Reading
We Can’t End the Forever War Without Stopping “The City of ISIS”
One boy stops and speaks to the reporter directly. He appears to be about seven years old. “When I grow up, I will behead you,” he says. Why? Because she is a woman who does not follow ISIS ideology.Continue Reading
The COVID Aid Gap in Syria
“There is unfairness in the distribution of these materials,” said Dr. Jiwan Mustafa, AANES Health Authority, “and what is granted to North and East Syria is considered very little regarding the population census and the need in North and East Syria.”Continue Reading
Tortured to Death: Survivor of Detention Under Turkish Occupation Speaks
A survivor of torture and detention under the Turkish occupation of Syria, Ms. Zainab Ahmed, age 63, is bravely coming forward to discuss the explicit details of sexual assault, torture, murder, and other atrocities that she has witnessed. The stories of abuse she tells are difficult to hear.Continue Reading
Top US Diplomat Supports Religious Freedom in Syria
“No one should fear violence, or persecution, for their beliefs. But today, this basic right is threatened in so many places around the world – including Iraq and Syria, Ethiopia, Burma, China, and Nigeria, just to name a few,” said Amb Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the UN.Continue Reading
SDC US Joins Esteemed Panelists for “The Kurds in the Middle East”
“It is always said that the Kurds have no friends but the mountains. I can now say, we have mountains of friends,” said Mohamad, during her segment of the discussion series. Mohamad emphasized shared values of democracy, equality, and human rights.Continue Reading
US Congress Members Propose Law to Permit Visas for SDF Fighters and Others
“The American handshake needs to mean something. The Syrian Partner Protection Act honors the promise we made to our Syrian and Kurdish partners in Syria who have been our allies on the ground in the fight against ISIS,” said US Representative Jason Crow.Continue Reading
Joe Biden’s “America Is Back” Policy Should Start with Syria
Erdogan supports violence against women in Turkey, women in Syria, Kurds in Afrin, and elsewhere. Will the United States shore up its principles, and match words with action?Continue Reading
Why Resistance Is Foundational to Kurdish Literature
Still, being a Kurdish writer is about rebirth and resistance. The precarious life of Kurds has traveled through history and will continue to do so. If I do what I know how to do, at the very least, I can show that even in the age of nation-states, stateless Kurds matter and we are as complicated, important, imperfect, funny, and fascinating as any other group of humans.Continue Reading
Water and Democracy in North and East Syria
Our people survived the authoritarian Syrian regime for decades. We withstood the past decade of war and instability. We battled the invading armies of ISIS. We have weathered a crushing economic collapse in the past year. With our inspiring democratic model, and with our unity and persistence, we can bring water and life back to Hasakah.Continue Reading
SDC to Host Discussion on Ten Years of Syrian Conflict
The discussion will address the Syrian crisis from the point of view of North and East Syria, focusing on US policy toward the region.Continue Reading
Former Deputy US Special Envoy Says “Ethnic Cleansing” Has Occurred Under Turkey’s Occupation
A recently-retired US diplomat has said that “ethnic cleansing” has occurred under the Turkish occupation of North and East Syria. William Roebuck, former Deputy Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, made the comments in an interview last week.Continue Reading
US Deputy Envoy Joins People of North and East Syria on Newroz and Akito
Brownstein celebrated both Newroz and Akito with officials from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), and the local population in Hasakah, Syria.Continue Reading
Syrian Democratic Forces Conduct Arrests in Al-Howl, “The City of ISIS”
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have now concluded the first stage of the Campaign for Humanity and Security inside Al-Howl camp, often called “The City of ISIS,” completing an effort aimed at finding and arresting those responsible for the public wave of assassinations and violence that has occurred in the camp in the past three months.Continue Reading
Syrian Democratic Council Meets with Swedish Foreign Ministry
An online meeting was held between the Syrian Democratic Council and the Swedish Foreign Minister that underscored the commitment Sweden has made to support the people of North and East Syria.Continue Reading
US-NES Roundup
Secretary Blinken gives first serious statement on Syria | UN Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield announces aid to Syria | Deputy Special Envoy celebrates Newroz and Akito in NES | William Roebuck says “ethnic cleansing” has happened under Turkey | AUMF moves closer to repeal | Ned Price fields question on Turkish abuses in Afrin | Special Envoy holds briefingContinue Reading
Three Years of Turkish Horrors in Afrin, Syria
In early 2018, the Turkish military invaded Afrin. The Turkish government now occupies the region, which is the site of frequent human rights violations and war crimes.Continue Reading
Each Syrian is Part of a Whole
There are many threads, colors, and materials necessary to create the breathtaking pattern of our society. The region of North and East Syria is a part of the tapestry.Continue Reading
Exclusive Interview with Newroz Ehmed, YPJ Commander in “The Daughters of Kobani”
In an exclusive interview with the Syrian Democratic Times, Newroz Ehmed discusses the future of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the US military presence in Syria, the women’s movement in Syria, the Kurdish experience, what motivates her on a daily basis, and more.Continue Reading
“We Want a United Syria,” says SDC Representative
“If we look on the map, what do we see today?” asked Mohamad. “We can see a divided Syria. But we want a united Syria… We are not looking for separation, we are looking for autonomy. I don’t want to see Syria divided.”Continue Reading
International Women’s Day Remarks from Syrian Democratic Council
This International Women’s Day, we will celebrate nearly 10 years of resistance and success that no enemy could destroy. We will continue to build our women’s revolution, and hope that we can be a model for women’s inclusion in the future of Syria and the Middle East.Continue Reading
Women Rise from Adversity to Celebrate Women’s Movement in North and East Syria
Women from all parts of North and East Syria held events to celebrate International Women’s Day, March 8, 2021, despite economic hardship, military occupation, and instability.Continue Reading
Biggest Challenges to North and East Syria Women: Extremism, COVID, Exclusion from Peace Talks
Despite inspiring advances, women in the region are currently facing several unique challenges that threaten to reverse their progress. What are the main challenges to women’s rights in North and East Syria?Continue Reading