Noureddin Issa Tells Kurdistan24 Syrian Government Approved Him as Hasakah Governor
Noureddin Issa Ahmed told Kurdistan24 that the Syrian government approved his appointment as Hasakah governor. He will travel to Damascus within two days to complete legal procedures following his nomination by the SDF.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a significant administrative development tied to the recent SDF–Damascus agreement, Noureddin Issa Ahmed confirmed that the Syrian government has formally approved his appointment as governor of Hasakah, marking the start of the final legal steps to assume office.
On Sunday, Issa told Kurdistan24 that the Syrian government had endorsed him as Hasakah governor. He said he will travel to Damascus within the next two days to complete the legal and administrative procedures required for his appointment.
Issa stated that he is fully prepared to serve the city of Hasakah, stressing his readiness to dedicate all efforts toward advancing the city and improving its conditions. He added that his priority is to move Hasakah forward and serve its residents.
According to Issa, the approval follows his nomination by the Syrian Democratic Forces on Jan. 31, 2026, a move later confirmed by the Syrian government, as he told Kurdistan24. Syrian state television had announced the SDF nomination, after which Issa’s name quickly became a trending topic on search engines and social media platforms, reflecting the strategic importance of Hasakah and the attention surrounding its governance.
Noureddin Issa Ahmed, also known as Abu Omar Khanika or Engineer Noureddin Abu Omar, is described as a prominent Kurdish administrative and political figure with broad influence in Hasakah province, particularly in mixed-population areas such as Qamishli and the Khanika neighborhood.
His nomination came within the framework of the agreement reached between the SDF and the Syrian government in January 2026, which provides for the integration of Autonomous Administration institutions into the central state structure.
Issa previously served as director of Alaya Prison in Qamishli and as head of public relations for the People’s Protection Units (YPG). He built extensive relations with Arab and Kurdish tribes in the region, drawing on his deep familiarity with Hasakah’s social and tribal composition.
He comes from a well-known national family in the Khanika neighborhood of Qamishli, having grown up in a multi-ethnic Kurdish environment shaped by major social and political transformations in Western Kurdistan (northeastern Syria). Members of his family were among those killed during the years of conflict, reinforcing his political stance and national roots.
With the outbreak of the Syrian uprising in 2011, Issa opposed the former Syrian regime, a position that led to his dismissal from his job at Qamishli’s post office due to his participation in protests. He later became involved in political and military work with the establishment of the YPG within the framework of the SDF.
Throughout his career, Issa played a role in mediating local disputes and easing tensions between Arab and Kurdish communities. His administrative standing was further strengthened through his management of Alaya Prison, granting him influence within the institutions of the Autonomous Administration.
His professional trajectory and tribal connections positioned him as a candidate for the Hasakah governorship as part of a broader agreement that included a ceasefire, the integration of Asayish forces into the Interior Ministry, and the entry of government security forces into Hasakah and Qamishli.
On a personal level, Issa suffered a major loss with the killing of his son, Omar, during battles fought by the SDF against ISIS. Despite this, he continued efforts to strengthen ties between Arab tribes and the Kurdish community through ongoing engagement with local leaders, contributing to his portrayal in political circles as a potential link between the SDF and the central government.
With Damascus’ approval secured and legal procedures pending, Noureddin Issa’s appointment as Hasakah governor stands as a key outcome of the January 2026 SDF–Syrian government agreement, placing a locally rooted figure at the helm of one of Syria’s most sensitive provinces.
Updated on Feb. 1, 2025, at 4:49 pm, a background about Noureddin Issa’s life was added.