The Syrian Turkmen Assembly (STA), established in Ankara with the support of Turkey due to the conditions of the war in Syria, decided to move its headquarters to Syria by amending its current regulations, according to a statement released yesterday.
Speaking about the amendment of the regulations, Syrian Turkmen Assembly President Muhammad Vecih Cuma said: "The amendment of the regulations is a very important step for Syrian Turkmens, especially for Syrian politics. Written by a delegation of national and international academics and lawyers in this field with field research, our new regulations will further democratize our existing structure and pave the way for us to make Syrian-based politics."
Stating that their first priority is having democratic regulation and returning to their homeland, he stated that Syrian Turkmens have taken an important and necessary step by moving the current administration and headquarters of the STA to Çobanbey, which is connected to Aleppo, in the determination of maintaining their politics and existence in Syria. Cuma also said the number of delegates and members of the house of representatives were increased, and the positive quota was introduced for women and nongovernmental organizations. Cuma added, since taking office, he has followed Syria-based politics. In this way, he emphasized that he has followed field-based politics to respond to the current needs of the Turkmens community, from the determination of the Turkmens banner to the establishment of the Turkmens Women's Union; moreover, as a sign of the importance they attach to the Turkish language, he emphasized the 15 language courses opened in the region after the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations.
Speaking on the subject, STA General Coordinator Cemil Doğaç İpek stated that the old STA regulations and structure fell short in representing Syrian Turkmens in the current conditions and were also not suitable for democratic conventions and therefore, the new regulation has become a need. Stating that the new regulation, which entered into force, was prepared in accordance with international law standards, İpek added that the STA would be managed directly with the managers selected from the field, and the return of Syrian Turkmens to the homeland in this way would be accelerated.
One of the academics who contributed to the writing of the regulations of the STA, Hacı Bayram Veli University's professor of international relations Mehmet Emin Çağıran, said: "The Syrian Turkmen Assembly handed over the administration of the assembly to the Turkmens who have lived in the field for eight years, struggled for this cause with their lives and blood, and suffered from the war and persecution. So, this is a revolutionary change."
Bahadır Bumin Özarslan, a member of Hacettepe University's Faculty of Law, contributed to the amendment of the regulation to gain international legal standards. He said: "It is a necessity that the Syrian Turkmen Assembly be based in Syria and that the delegation and administration to be employed in the assembly are resident people in Syria. The amendment of the regulation on this subject is quite appropriate and important."
