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Displaced People of Ras Al-Ain and Tal Abyad Reject the Parliamentary Elections
Displaced people from the cities of Ras Al-Ain (Sere Kaniye) and Tal Abyad (Kur) issued a statement expressing their outright rejection of the parliamentary elections announced by the Syrian interim government in areas under Turkish-controlled zones and the factions loyal to Turkey. The statement described these elections as invalid and illegitimate both legally and ethically, as they do not represent the will of the original residents, of whom approximately 85% are displaced. Most of them reside in displacement camps in northeastern Syria.
The displaced emphasized that these elections are taking place amid systematic demographic changes aimed at erasing the region’s identity. They also lack any legal or national basis, especially since the vast majority of Ras Al-Ain and Tal Abyad’s population have been forcibly displaced since 2019 and are excluded from participating in the electoral process.
The Ras Al-Ain and Tal Abyad Displaced Persons Committee also called for the activation of the March 10 agreement signed between the Syrian interim government, led by Ahmad Al-Shar’a, and the Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazlum Abdi. The agreement stipulates guarantees for the return of displaced people to their areas, the recovery of their property, and the creation of a safe environment that ensures free and fair elections with the participation of all residents of the region without exception or exclusion.
The committee addressed the United Nations and international organizations, urging them to assume their legal and humanitarian responsibilities to end violations and support the implementation of international agreements regarding the return of displaced persons. They consider this a fundamental condition for any just and sustainable political solution in Syria.
It is worth noting that local elections for the Syrian Parliament were held in most Syrian provinces on October 4, except in areas outside government control, such as Raqqa, Al-Hasakah, Sweida, eastern rural Aleppo, and parts of Deir ez-Zor.
In another context, today marks six years since the start of “Operation Peace Spring,” launched by Turkey in northern Syria. The operation aimed to control the towns of Ras Al-Ain and Tal Abyad, which had been under the administration of the Autonomous Administration. The operation resulted in the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of original residents who fled their homes due to bombing and military actions characterized by ethnic targeting.
Thousands of displaced and refugee families still live in difficult conditions in camps and shelter centers, suffering from a severe lack of basic humanitarian services. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights renewed its calls to guarantee the safe return of all displaced persons and refugees, and to provide a stable environment that allows them to live with dignity. It also emphasized the necessity of organizing free and fair elections across the entire Syrian territory to ensure representation of all segments of society without exception.
