The Syrian Coalition organized a panel discussion under the title “Administration of Raqqa after Liberation from ISIS” in Istanbul on Wednesday.
The panel discussion was attended by President of the Syrian Coalition Riyad Seif, Secretary-General Nazir Hakim, Head of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG) Jawad Abu Hatab, Head of the provincial council in Raqqa Saad Shawish as well as members of the Coalition’s political committee and the General Assembly and representatives of friendly countries.
Seif said that the Syrian Coalition is the only side with legitimacy and authorization to administer Raqqa in accordance with an Arab and international mandate, adding that “any other solution imposed by coercion will be a time bomb and a beginning of civil war.”
Seif said that enabling the people of Raqqa to administer their city under the supervision of SIG is the “best solution.” He stressed the need to “rectify the consequences of assigning the task of liberating Raqqa to the militia of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the exclusion of the FSA groups from the operations to recapture the city from ISIS. The moderate opposition groups would have effectively carried out the task had they received support from the friends of the Syrian people.”
For his part, Head of SIG Jawad Abu Hatab said that the administration of Raqqa and the restoration of essential services will benefit everyone as it will help the fight against extremism, eliminate the sources of terrorism, restore stability to the region, and enable the displaced to return to their homes.
Member of the Syrian Coalition Mustafa Nawaf Ali said that the situation in the province of Raqqa “reached a critical stage after its people had endured unbearable suffering resulting from ISIS’s proclamation of Raqqa as the capital of their savage state.”
Ali pointed out that the elimination of terrorism cannot be achieved through cosmetic measures, but by “eliminating the conditions that lead to the respawn of terrorism.” He stressed the need to “enable the people of the region to administer their areas and preserve the social structure and the demographic landscape.” (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
