The mayor of Kobanê Mustafa Abdi held a speech at the meeting of the Bureau of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the European Council (CLRA) telling the general features of the model of democratic autonomy practiced in Rojava. Abdi said the situation during the rule of the Syrian regime, the period of the self-rule and the after-war period were the parts of his speech that mostly drew attention.

The mayor of Kobanê told ANF about his contacts at CLRA.

Abdi said they received an invitation from the municipality of Strasbourg to join the meeting of CLRA. “During the meetings we held in the European Council, we wanted to tell in detail the cruelty imposed by the ISIS gangs on the people of the region and the pains it has created”, said Abdi, adding that they also tried to tell about the democratic autonomy model based on direct participation of people. The mayor stated that they wanted to bring a clarification against the approaches that perceive the system of Rojava as an obstacle in the region, and that they also asked help for the reconstruction of Kobanê, recalling their promise to the people to achieve this with the same determination they demonstrated defending it.

Abdi said that hey worked to set an example for the Middle East with the reconstruction of Kobanê and the system in Rojava, adding that a new model of urban planning appropriate to the democratic autonomy will to be applied in Kobanê that has to be rebuilt all over again out of the ruins.

The mayor told that the delegation from Kobanê held various meetings with delegations from many countries, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, adding that all the delegations wondered and asked how Kobanê could survive in the face of all those savage attacks of the ISIS gangs as well as the model of self-management in the town. He said they told about the details of the system in Rojava and Kobanê and searched the ways of working together with the delegations in the reconstruction of the war-torn town.

Abdi stressed that during all their talks they received appreciation for the resistance in Kobanê and the work they are performing to rebuild it, adding that they were also thanked for turning Kobanê the place of the resistance for the whole world and for human values against the terrorist attacks.

The mayor of Kobanê remarked that all the delegations they met and the council itself admitted the inadequacy of aid for Kobanê and vowed to provide more support. Reminding of the most recent resolution adopted by the CLRA calling on all the international agencies and the local governments to support Kobanê and for the opening of a permanent corridor, Abdi said the Turkish delegation asked to soften some statements, but yet they undersigned the resolution.

Abdi said they are satisfied with this result they obtained which proves that Kobanê can achieve international diplomacy to present itself correctly to the international community.

Another important point of the talks -Abdi said- has been the announcement by the President of the Council a delegation composed of parliamentarians and Council members to visit Kobanê for an assessment of the needs for the reconstruction of the town.

The mayor pointed out that although the Council doesn't have all the official authority to do more to help Kobanê, it vowed to put pressure on the member states to provide more help and to send letters to the local administrations member to the Council to ask for their support.

Abdi thanked to all the friends of Kobanê who supported it from the very beginning of the attacks on the town, with a specific emphasis on the worldwide actions held on 1 November International Kobanê Day.