Explainer: The Syrian Democratic Council – A proposal for a democratic Syria

The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) is a political assembly representing political parties and organizations in North and East Syria. The SDC creates a political framework for the governance of Syria along a decentralized, federal model. It is the political body to which the SDF reports. It is also the political counterpart to the Autonomous Administration, which takes on more administrative and executive functions. Negotiations with the Syrian government, as well as diplomatic relations with international powers, are generally conducted through the SDC.

Turkish Occupation Destroys Economic Structure of Syria’s AANES

Salman Barudo, the co-chair of the Economic and Agricultural Board of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), said on Tuesday, that the Turkish military operation in northeastern Syria had destroyed the economic structure in the region. “Turkey occupied Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Tel Abyad (Gre-Spi) areas, which had an area of 619,000

Sheikh Maqsud Council member: “You cannot separate Sheikh Maqsud from Aleppo. We have to cooperate.”

Sheikh Maqsud is a unique enclave within Aleppo, one of the oldest and most populous cities in Syria. Aleppo is under Syrian Government control, but the majority-Kurdish Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiya neighborhoods retain autonomy and ties to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. Within the tumults of the civil war Sheikh Maqsud gained independence from Syrian Government forces, and since then its population has been organizing according to the same democratic principles as the AANES. Azad from the General Council of Sheikh Maqsud explains how the district organizes its communes, self-defense forces, health care, and education, and to what extent it is able to cooperate with the central Syrian Government.