On 11th April 2019, Thursday at 2 PM, (at SETA Foundation in Ankara) the Stabilization Committee and SETA Foundation (The Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research) have held a panel entitled ‘’Manbij | The Quest for Stability’’ in order to present ‘’Manbij Stabilization Plan’’ and discuss it in a session which is attended by many governmental representatives and research and study centers.
The Panel Moderated by Dr. Murat Aslan – Academician and Researcher at SETA foundation and Hasav Kalyonucu University.
During the workshop, the current political situation of the city is reflected. As well as to presenting the general situation of the city before the revolution, during the rule of the revolutionaries, ISIS and SDF.
Then, Manbij Stabilization Plan have been presented by brief presentation that includes the most important points of the plan. The Stabilization Plan consists of 3 stages:
1- Preparatory Stage
2- Transition Stage
3- Sustainable Stage
The most important procedures during these stages:
– Exchange of lists of names between the Turkish and US governments – to reach a consensus on a list of names that would administer the city.
– Specialized meetings would take place between the agreed-on people, to discuss the steps and the mechanism to start the transition.
– To reach a consensus on the local council under the umbrella of the parties (Turkey and US) of Manbij road-map during the transition period.
– Preparation for a legislative body ‘’General Authority (assembly) of Manbij City’’, which will represent all components of the city, as it will be composed from the representatives/members of elected bodies Local council (neighborhood committees, the local councils of districts, small town and towns) independents and technocrats.
– Establishment o Judiciary and Security bodies: Temporary ones during the preparatory and transition stages. And permanent ones under supervision of ‘’General Authority (assembly) of Manbij City’’ during the sustainable stage.
– Establishment of election commission .
Then moved to talk about the plan and the views and opinions around it, underlining the need to be flexible considering the possibility of modification or development of other plans in accordance with the new agreements/developments as it is important to achieve the success of this experiment/road-map.
then talk took place about the needs and requirements that could be needed to implement the plan. As:
– Proceed on (accelerate) the Manbij road map.
– Provision of political support and giving space for the local people to participate in the planning process and for holding workshops among themselves to prepare for the management of the city/region.
– Provision of financial support for the basic services like education, health and etc..
– Provision of technical/logistic support to improve the capacity of the institutions and pave the way for their success
Then we have listened to views of some of the attendees like the representative of the Syrian Negotiation Committee and the head of Syrian Turkmen Council.
Where the views were uneven;
– the representative of the Syrian Negotiation Committee stressed the importance of Manbij road-map agreement, the Stabilization Plan, formation of an agreed on local council and a future election process.
– while the Head of Syrian Turkmen Council stressed the brotherhood of the Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens and the right of the quickly return of the forcibly displaced people to their city away from the plans and the slowdown
Stabilization Support Unit 