The local council in the Turkish-held Ras Al Ain region has suspended its work in protest over the refusal of the appointment of one of its members as director of the border crossing.
The council’s statement declared that, “We, the members of the local council of Ras Al Ain, announce the suspension of our work for several reasons, the most important of which is the appointment of a new director for the crossing of Ras Al Ain from outside the area.”
The council had nominated several names for the position, including a member of the council, a Turkish national and a former police officer, Mahmoud Khaled Sheikhmousa, and lawyer and former leader of the Free Army, Saleh al-Rafan. However, all the proposed names were rejected by al-Hamza division since it controls the western part of the city, where the border crossing is located, sources say.
Commander of the Turkish-backed al-Hamza division, Sayf Abu Bakr, appointed a relative, Ahmed Bulat, as the director of the border crossing last Tuesday.
The anger and general discontent over this appointment lead to a dispute between the two parties, with activists calling for demonstrations and sit-ins. The situation further delays any and all commercial exchanges, with farmers from Ras Al Ain still unable to sell their crops two months after the harvest within the Peace Spring region. These clashes and the council’s suspension of its work over the management of the crossing prevents any agreement over taxes and fees that will be imposed on farmers.
The Turkish military and the Syrian National Army attacked Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria on October 9 with the aim of creating a roughly 30-kilometer (20-mile) deep buffer zone.
Zaman Al Wasl
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