Several political parties in Kobanê have criticized the appointment of a new district administrator by the Aleppo provincial administration and called for his dismissal. In a joint statement, they said the decision had been made without involving the local population. The statement was signed by the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Syrian Kurdish Democratic Party, Syrian Kurdish Progressive Democratic Party, Syrian Kurdish Left Party, Syrian Kurdistan Freedom Movement, Syrian Kurdish Democratic Party, Syrian Kurdish Reconciliation Party and Kurdistan Democratic Peace Party.
While the provincial administration of the Syrian transitional government appointed Ibrahim Muslim as the new administrative head of the Kobanê district, the parties stated that the population of the city had been surprised by the decision. The appointed official is not from the region and does not represent the local social forces, they underlined.
In their statement, the parties emphasized that the position should be held by someone who comes from Kobanê, has lived there, and has contributed to the development and defense of the city. Only in this way, they said, can it be ensured that all social groups in the city are represented. Muslim was born in Aleppo and worked for the past five years in Turkish-jihadist-occupied Jarablus as director of education.
Reference to the population’s sacrifices
In the statement, the parties also recalled the history of the city and the sacrifices of its population. They said Kobanê experienced heavy attacks, particularly during the 2014 offensive by ISIS, when the population of the city made great sacrifices to liberate Kobanê and protect the region from extremist groups. According to the parties, these experiences have underscored the importance of local self-determination and political participation by the population.
Agreement between the SDF and Damascus
The parties also referred to the agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian transitional government on the future political structure of Syria. The foundation, they said, must be a pluralistic, democratic, and decentralized political system in which all social groups are represented.
In this context, they stated that the Kurdish question is a matter of national justice, stressing that recognition of Kurdish rights does not pose a threat to Syria’s unity but is rather a prerequisite for stability in the country. The parties therefore called for the immediate reversal of the appointment and demanded that the administration of the Kobanê district be entrusted to a person from the city who enjoys the trust of its population.
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