Translation: Administrative Divisions Law

This translation was published by Rojava Information Center on 25 May, 2024

In preparation for the forthcoming municipal elections in NES, planned for 11th of June [now postponed to 8 August, 2024], the DAANES passed a new law defining the administrative divisions of the NES region. This follows the DAANES’ publication of the new Social Contract in December 2023.

Interestingly, in the law, the cities of Azaz, al-Bab and Jarablus are included within DAANES-defined canton of ‘Afrin-Shehba’. Although the historical Shehba region does include those three cities, their area – which are currently under Turkish occupation since Turkiye invaded in 2016 – was never a part of the DAANES administrative system prior to occupation (unlike Afrin and the M4 Strip, whose cities and towns are also included in the administrative divisions law). RIC reached out to the DAANES regarding the choice to include them. Hassan Kocher, deputy co-chair of the DAANES’ Executive Council, told RIC: “Those [Azaz, al-Bab and Jarablus] are not the only occupied regions we included [in the administrative divisions]. We put in Afrin and Gire Spi [Tel Abyad] too. These are our regions and we will struggle to liberate them. We will not abandon them to the [Turkish] occupation. Our aim is to liberate all this land that Turkey has seized. On this basis we included these places. Otherwise we are saying it is okay that we leave them to Turkey and its proxies. This is unacceptable. So this is why we count them as our regions, regions of the Autonomous Administration – but regions of the Autonomous Administration that are under Turkish occupation.”

DAANES Law of Administrative Divisions
(amended)
Law No. 6 of 2024.

Chapter 1
Administrative divisions of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the North and East Syria Region

Article 1:

  1. The DAANES consists of seven cantons: Jazira, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, Euphrates, Manbij, Afrin-Shehba and Tabqa.
  2. The canton consists of cities, towns, villages, hamlets and residential units.
  3. Cities consist of the city center and its towns, villages, hamlets and residential units.
  4. Towns consist of the town center, villages, hamlets and affiliated residential units.

Article 2:

The administrative units are composed of hamlets, villages, towns, cities and the large cities, according to the number of inhabitants, as follows:

  1. Hamlet: Any settlement whose population does not exceed 100 people.
  2. Village: Any settlement whose population ranges between 101 and 5,000 inhabitants.
  3. Town: Any settlement whose population ranges between 5,001 and 35,000 inhabitants.
  4. City: Any settlement whose population ranges between 35,001 and 200,000 inhabitants.
  5. Large city: Any settlement whose population exceeds 200,000 inhabitants.

Chapter 2
Administrative divisions of each canton

Article 3:

The Democratic Autonomous Administration of the North and East Syria Region consists of seven cantons: Jazira, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, Euphrates, Manbij, Afrin-Shehba and Tabqa. 

They are composed of cities and towns as follows:

  1. Jazira Canton consists of the following administrative units:
    • Large cities: Heseke, Qamishlo.
    • Cities: Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ayn / Resh Ainu), Shaddadi, Amude, Darbasiyah, Tirbespi (Al-Qahtaniyah / Qabri Hayuriyeh), Cil Agha (al-Jawadiyah), Girke Lege (Maabada), Derik (al-Malikiyah), Tel Kocher (al-Yaroubiyah), Tel Hamis, Tel Brak, Hol, Tel Tamir, Zirgan (Abu Rassin), Markada, Arisha.
    • Towns: Tel Tawil, Safia, Tuwaina, Tel Baydar, Radshaqra, Makhroum, Um Madfa, Tel Majdal, Tanouriya, Karbawi, Tel Halaf, Mabrouka, Alouk, Manajir, al-Safah, Madan, Abadan, Abu Fas, al-Hariri, Jaghir Bazar, Topz , Tubu, Sanjak Saadoun, Abu Fara, Hilweh, Tel Marouf, Maashouq, Abera, Kishka, Mustafawiya, Arour, Gire Shira, Khana Sari, Rubaria, Ayn Diwar, Gire Fati, Khirbet al-Bir, Tel Ahmad, Okaz, Abu Jarn, Jazaa, Raywan line, Samihan Gharbi, Tel Ahmadi, Asabagh, al-Fadghami, Tel al-Jair, Um Hujaira, al-Hadadiya, al-Ghura, Qabour al-Gharajna, Qarmani, Tel Karam, Ghanamiya, Sikir, Tel Amir.
  2. Deir ez-Zor Canton consists of the following administrative units:
    • [Large Cities: Deir ez Zor]
    • Cities: al-Kasra, al-Jazarat, al-Sur, al-Basira, Hajin, al-Furat City (Abu Hamam, al-Kashkiya Granarege), al-Shuhail City (al-Shuhail and Dhiban), al-Susah City (al-Shaafah and al-Susah).
    • Towns: al-Saawa, al-Harmoushiyah, Busaiteen, al-Harijiya, al-Sabha, Abu Khashab, Jarwan, al-Muwailih, al-Geneina, al-Kubar, Hawaij Dhiyab, Hawaij Boumsaa, Muhaimida, al-Hassan, al-Izbah, Muizila, Jadid Akidat, Jadid Bakara, Darnaj, al-Tayana, Abu al-Hassan Suwaidan, Baghouz.
  3. Raqqa Canton consists of the following administrative units:
    • Large cities: Raqqa.
    • Cities: al-Karama, Hazima.
    • Towns: al-Akirshi, Ritala, al-Salhabiya, Kidiran, al-Raqqa al-Samra, al-Qahtaniyah, al-Jadidat, al-Kalta, Tishreen, al-Rashid 
    • Hamlets: al-Hamrat, al-Kasrat, al-Haws.
  4. Euphrates Canton consists of the following administrative units:
    • Large cities: Kobane.
    • Cities: Sarrin, Qenaya, Ayn Issa, Tal Abyad (Gire Spi), Jalabiya.
    • Towns: Shiran, al-Qadiriya, Tel Ghazal, Ramla, Bender, Tashluk, al-Jarn, al-Hisha, Suluk, Balak, Hammam al-Turkman, Ali Bagliya, al-Sharqa, al-Zaidi, Abu Kharza, Sheikh Hassan.
  5. Manbij Canton consists of the following administrative units:
    • Large cities: Manbij.
    • Cities: Abu Qalqal, al-Muharraq.
    • Towns: al-Haya, al-Farat, Tel Hawdan, al-Yasiti, al-Arima.
  6. Afrin-Shehba Canton consists of the following administrative units:
    • Large cities: Afrin.
    • Cities: Raju, Jinderes, Mobata, Sharan, Sheikh al-Hadid, Tel Rifaat, al-Bab, Jarabulus, Azaz.
    • Towns: Sherawa, Maydanka, Maydana, Baadina, Bulbul, Harana, Fafeen, al-Ahdath, Soran, Marea, Akhtarin, Dodian, Kfarghan, Talbal al-Sharqi, al-Rai, Qabasin, Hazwan, al-Ghandoura, al-Dabs, al-Jamal, al-Suwayda, Shawa.
  7. Tabqa Canton consists of the following administrative units:
    • Cities: Tabqa, Mansura, al-Jurniyeh
    • Towns: al-Suwaydiyah, al-Sufsafeh, Shems al-Din, al-Buwasi, al-Hamam, al-Mahmoudli

Chapter 3
Developing administrative units

Article 4:

  1. Hamlets, villages, towns, cities, and large cities shall be established, and their centers and borders shall be named, designated, and amended, upon a proposal from the People’s Councils in the relevant administrative units, and by a decision from the People’s Council of the Canton.
  2. The proposal may be made by the People’s Council of the Canton. In this case, the approval of the People’s Councils in the relevant administrative units is needed, and then the decision shall be issued by the People’s Council of the Canton.

Article 5:

This law is effective from the date of its issuance by the Democratic Peoples’ Council in the DAANES.

5/10/2024