Journey of declaration of Democratic Autonomous Administration

The popular spring, which first sparked in Tunisia, arrived in Syria on March 15, 2011, and the people rose up against power, demanding freedom and democracy. The intervention of regional and global powers led to the peaceful popular uprising turning into a conflict and war over interests within a short period, which caused massacres. Destruction, displacement, asylum, displacement and occupation.

With the beginning of the popular spring, the situation changed in Rojava. In this region, which over many decades witnessed a continuous struggle according to the philosophy of leader Abdullah Ocalan, organization, knowledge and education began to turn into institutional work.

Third line

The Kurds in Rojava culminated in their decades-long struggle experiences with a system of AANES and began forming institutions. They worked to unite the ranks of the Kurdish house on the one hand, and they negotiated with the rest of the components of the region, including Arabs, Syriacs, and Armenians, in order to unify the struggle for the unity of the peoples and their freedom. In this context, all components of the region (Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Syriacs, and Armenians) moved away from interference. They did not rely on any other forces and chose the third line.

Steps towards revolution

The pattern of AANES and relations was determined within the framework of Democratic Autonomous Administration DAA, and in October 2011, the Democratic Society Movement TEV-DEM was established as an institutional umbrella, and then the West Kurdistan People’s Council (MGRK) was formed, which was composed of 359 people, 40 percent of whom were women.

On the other hand, the Democratic Society Movement was managing activities with the participation of all components of Rojava Kurdistan and turning them into organized institutional work, and important steps were taken from communes to councils, and from education to protection. In 2011, the People’s Protection Units were established as forces to protect all components. In this context, the work of forming communes began in all villages and neighborhoods. In 2013, the first communes were opened in the villages.

July 19

The steps taken led to the outbreak of the revolution in 2012, as its first spark broke out in Kobani on July 19 (2012), and then this spark spread to Afrin, Serêkaniyê, Ad-Darbasiyah, Amuda, Deirk, Girke Legê, Tirbespiyê, Qamishlo, Tal Tamr and al-Hasakah. The people's confidence and belief in a shared and free life was strengthened, as the protection forces were developing and becoming stronger day by day.

Management style

The revolution, which resonated in the region and the entire world, also began to determine the style of administration. People’s councils, people’s houses, and work committees affiliated with them were formed in the liberated cities. People solved all their problems through these institutions until 2013, then discussion and talk began about a system that includes. It covers the entire region with all its components.

Discussions about administration took place from two sides, one of which was embodied in the discussions that took place between the political parties, and the other was the discussions that took place between all components of the region, and the discussions between the Kurdish parties resulted in the formation of the Supreme Kurdish Authority on July 24, 2012, which consisted of the People’s Assembly of West Kurdistan (MGRK). And the Kurdish National Council (ENKS), under whose banner the diplomatic, social services and protection committees were formed.

Administration despite the difficulties created by the Kurdish National Council

After discussions between the Kurdish House and the rest of the components (Arabs, Syriacs, Armenians, and Circassians), a project for Democratic Autonomous Administration was proposed. The Supreme Kurdish Authority adopted the project, and the project was presented to the parties and institutions. In this regard, the People’s Assembly of West Kurdistan and the Kurdish National Council signed on September 8, 2013. on a document consisting of 9 items, and this document stipulated the preparation of a social contract and the formation of internal security forces to ensure the security of the region, and after completing all preparations for the announcement of the administrative institutions, and one day before its announcement, the Kurdish National Council withdrew under Turkish orders.

The Provisional Constituent Assembly and the Social Contract

The attempts of the Kurdish National Council failed. The people of the region, who had built their unity on November 12, 2013, announced the General Constituent Council for the Interim Administration. The project stipulates the administration of the regions of Rojava in the form of cantons, and the designation of 3 cantons: Jazira, Kobani, and Afrin, to be established. Each canton has its own council.

On January 6, 2014, with the participation of representatives of 52 parties, organizations, civil society movements, women’s and youth movements, and 15 independent figures, the “management model,” the “social contract,” and the “election laws” were approved, among the most prominent provisions of the social contract. Those related to the official languages (Kurdish, Arabic, and Syriac), freedom, justice, equality, education, health, environmental protection, women’s freedom, and the protection of women’s and children’s rights.

Declaration of cantons

Numerous meetings and public discussions with people, institutions and parties resulted in determining the final form of the Democratic Autonomous Administration system, and on January 21, 2014, the interim legislative council of the DAA met in the city of Amuda and announced the interim Autonomous Administration of the Jazira canton, and all components of the region left. From the Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Armenians, Circassians and Turkmens to the squares to celebrate this, and after Jazira, the Autonomous Administration in Kobani was announced on January 27 and the Autonomous Administration in Afrin on the 29th of the same month.

Democratic Autonomous Administration was established on the basis of free personality, shared democratic life, political and moral community, free coexistence, economic independence, the structure of law, culture, and a system of protection and diplomacy. The establishment of service bodies began, and all components of the region were engaged in working in councils, bodies and offices equally. And democratic with their identities and cultures.

Cantons coordination

There were areas under the control of mercenaries, between the three cantons, so communication between the cantons was not satisfactory. To bridge this gap, in 2015, the provincial coordination was established, which played an important role in common issues such as protection, security, education, politics and diplomacy.

Foreign representations

The echo of the DAA, which created great enthusiasm among the people of the region, was also heard abroad, so the diplomatic efforts of the Autonomous Administration began to bear fruit little by little, and the first representation of the AA was opened in Sulaymaniyah in 2015, and then other representations were opened, in Austria, France, and Germany. , Russia, in Belgium on behalf of the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) and in Sweden on behalf of the Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Iceland), and opening management offices in Lebanon and the Emirates.

Expansion of the AANES system

The establishment of the Democratic Autonomous Administration Network coincided with the liberation of areas subject to mercenary occupation and the establishment of councils in them, as the Syrian Democratic Forces (QSD), which were established in 2015, liberated Girê Spi in 2015, Manbij in 2016, and Tabqa and Raqqa in 2017, and councils were established in these areas after their liberation, and in 2017, with the aim of harmonizing all regions and implementing the AANES system, the federalism of northern Syria was declared in 2017. In this context, the administrative divisions in the AA were defined as three regions (Jazira, the Euphrates, and Afrin) and 6 cantons (Qamishlo and al-Hasakah, which belong to the Jazira region, and Girê Spi and Kobani, which belong to the Euphrates Region, and Afrin and al-Shahba, which belong to the Afrin Region), while Manbij, Raqqa, and Tabqa were designated as civil administrations.

management style deepened. On September 6, 2018, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria was declared.

Official recognition of AANES

Meanwhile, the Autonomous Administration diplomatic movement continued, which resulted in the Parliament of the autonomous Catalonia region of Spain officially recognizing the Autonomous Administration on the anniversary of the liberation of the city of Raqqa (October 20, 2021).

The social contract and recent amendments

The liberation of the occupied territories and the expansion of the system led to the expansion of discussions and conversations about the system and the social contract. In this context, after the meetings held by the components of the region, the issue of reformulating the social contract was put on the agenda, and after two years of continuous work, the draft of the social contract was completed and presented. On the General Council of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, which ratified it at its 91st meeting (2023), and announced its ratification through a statement of public opinion on last December 12 (2023).

The new social contract, which consists of 4 chapters and 134 articles, stipulates a change in the system of AANES, changing the name of the administration to the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the North and East Region of Syria, abolishing the system of the three regions (Jazira, Euphrates, and Afrin) and adopting the system of cantons, so that the regions of Autonomous Administration are formed. In its administrative divisions, it consists of one region that includes 7 cantons (Afrin, al-Shahba, Jazira, Kobani, Manbij, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Tabqa).

T/ Satt.

ANHA