North and East Syria, where an estimated 5 million people live, and where 1.8 million people rely on humanitarian aid to survive, has steadily been cut off from the rest of the world during the past two years as its border crossings have become increasingly politicized.Continue Reading
The murder of Bassam Mohammed, a Kurdish Red Crescent medical worker in January, 2022 is a shocking indication of the enduring security threat the camp poses. Over 90 people were killed in the camp in 2021, making it the deadliest year at the camp so far. Continue Reading
The Council stated that the issue of Afrin is an issue for all Syrian people, as it is a case of a foreign and hostile state illegally occupying Syrian territory and changing its demographics. They further emphasized their disappointment with the international community, stating that their silence has given Turkey a green light to continue occupying parts of Syria and to expand their attacks.Continue Reading
The bill authorizes $177 million in Train and Equip funding for counter-ISIS operations during the 2022 fiscal year. These funds will support the SDF’s continuous work to disrupt the activities of ISIS and protect the world from Islamic extremist terrorism.Continue Reading
While the SDF and US have held joint exercises before, in particular in the Deir-ez-Zor region, these recent exercises were notable for their use of advanced equipment.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
Free Burma Rangers, a US nonprofit organization, has rebuilt an Armenian Apostolic church that was destroyed by ISIS in Raqqa, the former capital of the so-called “ISIS caliphate.”Continue Reading
The new constitution has been on the agenda for the AANES for some time, however, Turkish attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic have long delayed further development and advancement of the region. Continue Reading
Deescalation of military threats to North and East Syria, as well as economic stabilization of the region, were topics discussed with Ethan Goldrich, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs at the US Department of State, visited with top officials in the autonomous region of North and East Syria. Continue Reading
Turkish Air Force drones have been targeting Syrian Democratic Forces soldiers, civilian members of the AANES, and prominent families in the region. These attacks are a blatant violation of the ceasefires signed with Russia and the United States, and prominent members of the AANES have called on the international community to put an end to the attacks. Continue Reading
While the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) has touted a recent anti-drug operation that resulted in the arrests of several drug dealers and the seizure of approximately half a million Captagon pills as evidence of their opposition to the proliferation of narcotics, the number of users and scale of production has continued to increase.Continue Reading
It is only natural that such a closeness in values between the AANES and Catalonia would lead to positive relations and solidarity. This culminated in the Catalan parliament officially recognizing the AANES as a legitimate political entity on October 20, 2021.Continue Reading
At least 23 Turkish drone attacks have been launched against “Kurdish targets” since August 1, 2021, states the brief. This includes Turkish attacks in North and East Syria against AANES government officials, children, and civilians.Continue Reading
“Their fight is not over. And because their fight is not over, ours isn’t either. Anyone with any interest whatsoever in peace and democracy must continue to talk about North and East Syria.”Continue Reading
“President Biden did not give a green light to a Turkish military operation in northern Syria,” said James Jeffrey, who was the US Special Envoy for Syria Engagement until late 2020.Continue Reading
US lawmakers called Turkey a “rogue state” engaging in “increasingly destabilizing behavior.” The letter is yet another sign of worsening relations between the United States and Turkey, both NATO member countries.Continue Reading
Kobani and Rojava Universities Celebrate Their Graduation; The SDC and Its Allies Mark World Kobani Day; COVID-19 Continues to Exacerbate the Economic CrisisContinue 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
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
The government of Catalonia, Spain, voted to officially recognize the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) on October 20, 2021. Approving a resolution that was initially presented in parliament in July 2021, Catalan lawmakers voted to recognize the AANES as a “political entity.”Continue Reading
Turkish Drone Strikes Kill Two in Kobani, Syria; ISIS Families Repatriated from al-Howl Camp; Raqqa Marks Four Years Since Liberation from ISISContinue Reading
The reception that Ahmad and her delegation received was friendly, with many legislators and officials expressing a willingness to protect the US partnership and further stabilize their region. Continue Reading
During Executive President Ahmad’s visit to Washington DC in September 2021, she met with a wide variety of US officials.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
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
“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
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
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
“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
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
“Erdogan sees his country as on par with the great powers of the world. It is not,” said Senator Bob Menendez.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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
“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
“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
“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
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
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
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
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
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
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