The people of North and East Syria and all Syrian people now clearly desire to create a unified Syria that is inclusive, democratic, pluralistic, and sovereign.Continue Reading
By October of 2015, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were formed as a multi-ethnic coalition of Arabs, Kurds, and Syriacs, united by their belief in a democratic Syria, and the necessity of defeating ISIS.Continue Reading
As of October 11, over 258,000 people had fled Lebanon to different parts of Syria since the start of hostilities, according to UNICEF.Continue Reading
The Afrin region of North-East Syria continues to suffer under the Turkish occupation, as the demographic change in the region is further entrenched. After cutting down hundreds of trees, a Turkish NGO, the Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation, helped fund the construction of a 300 house settlement in the al-Zaydiyah neighborhood.Continue Reading
North and East Syria has faced an increasingly existential threat in a water crisis that refuses to abate. Through a combination of climate change and Turkish weaponization of water, Syria’s Northeast has seen the water levels of the Euphrates River reach historic lows, and some parts, such as the KhaburContinue Reading
The Turkish military conducted eight drone strikes against members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish Red Crescent ambulance that was responding to the scene, and civilian homes around the town of Amude.Continue Reading
Using violence and deadly drone attacks to force a Syriac Christian community into diaspora amounts to active ethnic cleansing of a historical community indigenous to the region.Continue Reading
ISIS is once again active in Syria. There has been a recent surge in ISIS attacks, including attacks on Syrian troops – the soldiers of Bashar al-Assad – in the desert. In the first three months of 2023, ISIS in Syria killed 84 Syrian soldiers and 44 civilians. In MarchContinue Reading
The social contract of North and East Syria has stipulated that all government bodies must have one man and one woman sharing power in the executive seats. Continue Reading
Turkish-backed militias recently removed the iconic Kurdish statue of Kawa the Blacksmith, replacing it with a large, shiny, army-green design representing a cluster of olives representing Operation Olive Branch.Continue Reading
Recent days have seen a dramatic escalation in Turkey’s aggression against North and East Syria with a series of heavy airstrikes across the region targeting civilian infrastructure including electrical facilities, fuel depots, factories, food and water infrastructure, and even a hospital. These attacks have resulted in the deaths and injuriesContinue Reading
On December 28, 2022, 1,000 members of the Syrian Democratic Forces and Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (NES), in coordination with the International Coalition to Defeat ISIS, launched a major operation to target ISIS cells in the Tel Hamis, Tel Barak, and Al-Hol regions of NES. TheContinue Reading
Conflict Armament Research (CAR), an organization dedicated to tracking the origins of weapons and weapon components used in war, has found evidence of European Union-manufactured components being used in missiles fired by Turkish drones in North and East Syria. The organization stated that after analyzing the remnants of 17 air-to-surfaceContinue Reading
They say that all that is required for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing. Will the world act to prevent another unprovoked military invasion of US allied territory in Syria? Turkey is threatening a large-scale armed invasion into North and East Syria, a region I callContinue Reading
With the entire world facing the increasingly perilous crisis of food insecurity and inflation, basic goods that people need to survive are increasing in price exponentially as a result of various factors, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has significantly disrupted the oil and wheat markets. For Syria,Continue Reading
ISIS is still international, and as such the ISIS issue remains international. So long as the al-Hawl detainee camp and other facilities housing ISIS detainees exist, ISIS will continue to exist. The United Nations Special Representative for Iraq Jeanine Hennis visited North and East Syria’s infamous al-Hawl Camp as partContinue Reading
People must be allowed to return to their own homes, not homes owned by other Syrians who are themselves internally or externally displaced. Demographic change that amounts to ethnic cleansing will only exacerbate the sectarian nature of the conflict and lead to further issues.Continue Reading
Since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine in February, the headlines have been dominated by images of war-torn Ukrainian cities, burnt out tanks, and cruise missile strikes. A major European war for the first time since the Second World War has shocked the world. However, the effectsContinue Reading
ISIS will not be defeated by force of arms alone. While the efforts to dismantle ISIS cells must continue, the issues of accountability and economic crisis must be addressed as well.Continue Reading
Since the beginning of the Syrian Revolutionary Movement, the Turkish occupation state has been keen to support Islamist groups in an effort to Islamicize Syrian society, under the command of the Muslim Brotherhood. Continue Reading
As a persecuted religious and ethnic minority in Syria, they are now uniting around constitutional recognition of universal principles — ethnic and identity rights.Continue Reading
If Turkey left Afrin, it would be back in the good democratic hands of North and East Syria, and the region could again be home to an inspiring flourishing of a new type of democratic culture in the Middle East.Continue Reading
Why aren’t there more news media reports about the situation in Afrin? Turkey does not allow reporters into the Afrin region, unless they are strictly managed and do not stray from their official Turkish handlers.Continue Reading
Under the new amendment, nonprofit organizations can transact with entities in Syria to offer humanitarian aid, invest in non-commercial development projects, and generally conduct food/medical/education aid and assistance, as well as other activities.Continue Reading
Commander Mazloum stated that “The United States said they were opposed to, and would not accept, any attack by Turkey against us.” This was relayed by the United States to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria officially, and US officials told Commander Mazloum that President Biden told President Erdogan on the sidelines of the G20 that any attack was unacceptable.Continue Reading
Construction vehicles, designed for heavy earthworks, not delicate archaeological sites, have been in use by Turkish-backed organizations at the site of “Nabi Hori,” about 23 km from Afrin. The site has witnessed large-scale excavation efforts by Turkish-backed organizations in full view of Turkish forces.Continue Reading
During the past six years since ISIS was driven out of Kobani, the AANES has worked tirelessly to rebuild and provide for the people. Their resilience is what allows the city to be where it is today. Continue Reading
In order to rebuild Raqqa both physically and socially, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) has undertaken many actions to address the major issues plaguing the city.Continue Reading
Experts estimate that Turkey violated its ceasefire agreement over 800 times in its first year of implementation, an average of 2.3 incidents per day. Continue Reading
The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations in North and East Syria held its founding conference October 17 and 18, 2021, to support an initiative to strengthen the role of civil society organizations and institutions in society.Continue Reading
What we heard from US officials was hopeful. They know that the partnership between the United States and our region should be protected and supported.Continue Reading
The delegation members came to Washington to represent the interests of the Syrian Democratic Council as well as to convey the messages of Syria’s many communities.Continue Reading
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
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 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
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
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
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
“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
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
Authoritarian governments seek to silence critics and jail the opposition. Democracies protect the human right to free speech.Continue Reading
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
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
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
“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
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
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
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
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
In North and East Syria, women lead at the highest levels of government thanks to the co-leadership model. They hold these roles not as tokens, but as decision-makers, respected voices, and influential thinkers.Continue Reading