Euphrates Region
Kobanî Canton
Kantona Kobaniyê | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Aleppo |
| Autonomy declared | January 27, 2014 |
| Administrative center | Kobanî |
| Government | |
| • Prime Minister | Enver Muslim |
| Population | |
| • Estimate (2013) | 400,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Area code | +963 21 |
Kobanî Canton (Kurdish: Kantona Kobaniyê) is the smallest of three de facto autonomous cantons of Rojava. Officially remaining to be part of the Syrian governorate of Aleppo, Kobanî Canton was declared autonomous on 27 January 2014 and since then has been under the interim government of the Kurdish Supreme Committee.[1]
The designated administrative center of the Kobanî Canton is the town of Kobanî, which is however currently under siege.[2] Kobanî's Legislative Assembly has appointed a president, two deputies and 22 ministers to rule the Kobanî Canton. Its prime minister is Enver Müslim, and its population.
The current population of the Kobanî Canton is unknown due to substantial refugee movements in late 2014. Population of the territory prior to 2014 was estimated at roughly 400,000, with an ethnic Kurdish majority.[3] At least half this number had fled the region across the border to Turkey by the end of September 2014..[4]
Administration
According to the constitutional Charter of the Social Contract, the Kobanî Canton's Legislative Assembly on its 27 January 2014 session declared autonomy. The assembly elected Enver Müslim prime minister, who appointed Bêrîvan Hesen and Xalid Birgil his deputies. The remaining Executive Council was appointed as follows:[5]
- Foreign Minister: Îbrahîm Kurdo
- Minister of Defense :Îsmet Şêx Hesen
- Interior Minister: Ehmed Osman Dadilî
- Minister of Regional Commissions, Municipalities and Planning: Mistefa Ebdî
- Minister of Finance: Eliya Sîdî
- Minister of Labor and Social Security: Mehmud Bişirî Beşar
- Minister of Education: Hisên Mehemed Elî
- Minister of Agriculture: Gulistan Etî Bikî
- Minister of Health: Dr. Neesan Ehmed
- Minister of Trade and Economy: Mehmud Bozan Mislim
- Minister of Martyrs’ Families: Mehemed Şeban
- Minister of Culture: Ebdilrezaq Elî
- Minister of Transportation: Riyad Temo Mistefa
- Minister of Youth and Sport: Welat Derwîş Derwîş
- Minister of History and Tourism: Mîdya Hemo Genco
- Minister of Religious Affairs: Mehemed Zahir Mistefa
- Minister of Women and Family Affairs: Wehîde Umer
- Minister of Human Rights: Şahîn
- Minister of Supervision: Ehmed Daban
- Minister of Information: Şevîn Mehmud
- Minister of Justice: Ewas Xelîl Elî
- Minister of Energy: Fazil Mistefa Ehmed
Siege of Kobani
The Kobani Canton has been attacked by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants for several months. In September 2014, ISIL occupied much of the Kobani Canton, seizing more than 100 Kurdish villages.[4][6] As a consequence of the ISIL occupation, up to 200,000 Kurdish refugees fled from the Kobani Canton to Turkey.[4] Many were allowed in, though they were not allowed to enter with any vehicles or livestock that they had.[7]
(For a more detailed map, see Cities and towns during the Syrian Civil War)
In seized villages, ISIL militants committed massacres and kidnapped women.[6] ISIL militants, however, were not able to occupy the entire canton, as the People's Protection Units (YPG) and Women's Protection Units (YPJ) forces managed to defend the town of Kobani and several nearby settlements. After weeks of isolation as a result of Turkey blocking arms and fighters from entering the town, due to the general hostility of the Turkish establishment towards Kurds with any links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)[citation needed], the USA-led coalition finally began to target ISIL with a larger number of air strikes. This move helped the YPG/YPJ to force ISIL to retreat from numerous parts of the town. However, Turkey's continuing blockade of the town means that the position of the YPG/YPJ's anti-ISIL resistance is unstable.[8]
See also
References
- ^ "Second canton in Western Kurdistan declares itself autonomous". Nationalia. 27 July 2014.
- ^ "The Constitution of the Rojava Cantons". Personal Website of Mutlu Civiroglu.
- ^ "Kobane Under Intense ISIS Attack, Excluded from UN Humanitarian Aid". Rudaw. 17 July 2014.
- ^ a b c Constanze Letsch (22 September 2014). "Isis onslaught against Kurds in Syria brings 'man-made disaster' into Turkey". the Guardian.
- ^ Halklara armağandır! in Özgür Gündem
- ^ a b "ISIL seizes 21 Kurdish villages in northern Syria, close in on Kobane". AFP/Reuters. 18 September 2014.
- ^ Ayla Albayrak (17 October 2014). "Hundreds Wait for Kobani Fighting to End, Risking Lives at Border". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "YPG official: Airstrikes not enough to protect Kobani". Al-Monitor. 14 October 2014.