This year marks the tenth anniversary of the beginning of the revolution in Rojava. These are not only ten years of building a democratic and ecological social system in which women’s freedom comes first, but they are also 10 years of constant self-defense against the attacks of the Turkish fascist regime. This is because Turkey’s attacks on the revolution in Rojava and Northeastern Syria are a constant threat and continue to this day. After Erdoğan launched an offensive in Southern Kurdistan back in April and also intensified the attacks on Northeastern Syria, he now announced the plan to establish a 30km deep “security zone” in Northern Syria. However, we know very well that this so-called security zone would at best destabilize the region and serve Turkish expansion plans. Already between 2016 and 2019, large parts of this border strip were occupied by the Turkish state and its jihadist allies. The local people has been displaced and pro-Turkish and Islamist have been settled. This population policy not only breaks down the local social structures and drives many people to flee, but also leads to a strengthening of the so-called ISIS. Turkey now wants to expand this occupation and thus also wrest its heart from the revolution of Northeastern Syria.
In this context, the revolution in Northeastern Syria and the Liberation Movement in Kurdistan stand for a movement that turns away from the deep patriarchal, nationalist and capitalist values of our time and instead aims for a society built on the idea of Democratic Confederalism and its three fundamental values of gender liberation, ecology and grassroots democracy. In Northeastern Syria, women play a central role in both social life and political work. The social system is based on the participation of all and on self-organized structures that come from below from the population. It is a women’s revolution that, with all its values and achievements, has great significance not only regionally but worldwide. It is groundbreaking for a worldwide struggle against patriarchal structures, nation-statehood and fascism.
But this does not seem to have much significance for the world’s political and media public. For years, these have been characterized by a largely consistent silence.
As Women Defend Rojava we condemn the ongoing war as well as the announced plans of a supposed “security zone”, which would mean a broad crushing of the women’s revolution in the region. We also condemn the behavior of the international community, which is characterized by a silent acceptance of the current war of Turkey on the political and media level. We join the demands of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria when they say that they expect the European states to exert pressure on Turkey to stop the threats of invasion. We condemn all those states that put on a democratic face while backing Turkey!
As part of the call from Abya Yala (Latin America) and Defend Kurdistan for a global day of action against the war in Kurdistan and the defense of the revolution, a variety of actions took place in many places. We want to remind again that as internationalists we cannot remain as observers in the face of these attacks. We stand with the people and the Kurdistan Freedom Movement.
We call on all democratic and feminist forces to unite and resist. Let’s put pressure on the politicians. Let’s inform the local press and take actions that attract public attention. Let us name responsibility of the international states in this war. We can also support the self-defense of the local people, e.g. with donations to the aid organization “Heyva Sor a Kurdistanê” or the “Foundation of Free Woman in Syria – WJAS“.
As Women Defend Rojava, as feminists and anti-fascists worldwide, we demand an end to the fascist policies of the Turkish state!
Let’s unite to defend the women’s revolution together!
Jin Jiyan Azadî!
