A Message from Internationalists in Rojava

We are Internationalists in Rojava,

We are in the heart of the Women’s Revolution.

We are in the spirit of the revolutionary youth.

We are in the strength of the YPG and YPJ defence forces.

We are in the fabric of civil Infrastructure-works like water and energy supply.

You can find us in schools, universities, peoples councils, courts, and municipalities.

We are in the tunnels, ready to defend the cities against the technological superiority of the occupiers.

We are in the “Mala Jin”, learning from the wisest women of these lands.

We are in the villages, feeling the real meaning of communality.

We are in the refugee camps, seeing the living spirit of resistance.

We visit families who talk about the meaning of being able to live on one’s own land, with one’s own culture and language.

We try to share a small part of the reality here through our reports and insights.

We learned from the people here what it means to protect one’s homeland, to protect one’s existence, and to insist on this until the end.

Since October 5^th, this region has been under massive attack. Warplanes and wardrones have been bombarding the critical infrastructure of millions of people. In the middle of a world-wide hunger crisis, Turkey bombed wheat silos. In the middle of an energy crisis, oil processing plants were targeted. In the middle of water shortages, dams for drinking water got attacked, and furthermore, in some places hospitals and schools were destroyed by the fascist’s heavy weapons. The Turkish State announces right afterwards: “What ever they try to rebuild, we will directly destroy it again”. In the last days the Turkish State is especially terrorizing the people: close to Dirbesiye, 5 woman collecting cotton were wounded in the fields, in Ain Isa a 10 year old and a 9 year old were struck dead, the list of these barbarities grows longer every day.

All this against a society which for years fought against ISIS and until today is taking the responsibility of guarding hundreds of international ISIS-Cadres, because their home-countries are refusing to take them back. All of this against a society, which is mourning over 13,000 fallen in the fight against ISIS and other Islamist groups. All of this against a society, which was celebrated as “heroic” when it was in the interest of some international hegemonic powers. All of this against a society, which has been fighting for life and freedom for over 10 years becoming the beacon of hope, the light showing the way in a world full of fascism and destruction. And when this society does not bow down but defends itself and shows its power of resistance, the violence of the enemy intensifies.

On October 1^st, the day of re-opening of the Parliament after summer break, in the heart of the Turkish State, Ankara, several bombs exploded. 2 militants of the “Brigade of Immortals” of the Kurdistan Freedom Movement named Rojhat Zîlan and Erdal Şahîn decided to make an action, sacrificing themselves an act of resistance. They entered the inner area of the Special Forces, responsible for the security of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkey, shot members of this unit and exploded with the bombs they carried with them.

Why an action like this?

The question of those who don’t see the daily terror of Turkey.

In North-Kurdistan, a systematic war is waged against the society, especially against women. Rape, kidnapping and assassinations happen on a daily basis, femicide is rampant. Villages get attacked, graveyards bombed and desecrated, corpses are sent to their families in bags and boxes. The democratic opposition are detained, or in exile en masse. Every day political prisoners are leaving the prisons in coffins and systematic torture and arbitrary injustice is a part of daily life.

In South-Kurdistan / North Iraq, Turkey is carrying out a vicious war, the likes of which has never been seen before in history. Both the brutality of the enemy and the resistance of the Guerilla are unparalleled. They plan to break down the Guerilla with the methodical use of chemical weapons, thermobaric weapons and tactical nuclear weapons, but the Guerilla have been fighting for years from complex tunnel systems and are still undefeated. Because Turkey did not manage to achieve success against the Guerilla, neither through ground invasions nor with air attacks, they began in recent years to strengthen their political influence in the region and intensify their secret service networks.

In West-Kurdistan / Northern Syria, Turkey is an official occupational force in Afrin, Gire Spi and Serekaniye, regions which were part of the Autonomous Self-Administration before 2018. Kurds are forcefully removed from the region and until today Turkey is settling Islamist militias and their families there. Turkey allies with Islamist forces to oppress and control the occupied areas and beyond. Attacks and operations which ISIS carry out in Northern Syria are monitored and directed by the Turkish State, such as the attempted Haseke jailbreak in February 2022.

The two militants Rojhat Zîlan and Erdal Şahîn sent a message to the world.

In the statement of the People’s Defence Center Headquarters published on October 1^st it was said: “Every person should know that the members of the Brigade of Immortals could have achieved a very different result with only small change in their timing if they had wanted to. However, such a decision was deliberately not taken (…). This action is an act of legitimate defence against the disregard of human rights that are being trampled on (…); against the inhumane practice and policy of isolation that is being implemented in all the jails of Turkey and Kurdistan; against the use of chemical weapons against our Guerilla forces (…); against the plunder of our nature and the Eco-cide in Kurdistan; against the oppression of the Kurdish people and all democratic circles.”

From the beginning of the armed struggle of the PKK in 1984 until today, Turkey has been trying to annihilate the people’s will of resistance, and in this they have been unsuccessful. This conflict can only be solved through dialogue and a process of democratization of the region.These are the words of Abdullah Öcalan, already from the time of the first ceasefires of the 90’s. In his Defence Writings, like the “Roadmap for Negotiations” from 2013, he describes in detail how sustainable peace in the region is possible. However the most recent wave of attacks show once again that Turkey is insisting on realizing its neo-Ottoman dream, speaking the language of colonization and genocide.

Turkey is a member of NATO and the army carrying out this colonial war in the region is the second biggest NATO-Army.

October 9^th is not a random date. On October 9^th, 1967 Che Guevara, one of the most important Internationalists in world history, was assassinated. October 9^th, 1998 is the day Abdullah Öcalan, due to enormous political and military pressure, had to flee Syria, which lead to a 129 day-long odyssey in the search for refuge, which ended with him getting kidnapped on the flight to South-Africa and finally being handed over to Turkey. Since February 15^th, 1999 he has been held in total isolation on the Prison island of Imrali, and for 2 and a half years neither family nor lawyers were able to see him, his situation is still unclear. Again on October 9^th 2019, the invasion of Gire Spi and Serekaniye started, and since then the region is under Turkish Colonial Administration. Now finally, this year on the 9^th of October, Turkey attacked the region of Cizire. 29 members of the special forces of the Asayîş, which are responsible for the fight against drug trafficking in the region, were massacred through a directed airstrike, a few days before the end of a several month-long training.

Why isn’t the world paying attention?

The genocidal colonisation of Palestinian people has escalated in an all-out war, and around the world we watch their resistance. The Turkish state sees this situation as an opportunity. Turkey uses the conflict to intensify its attacks in Rojava, going unnoticed. Without an active invasion happening in Rojava, the world turns a blind eye, but Turkey has been terrorizing the region with low-intensity warfare for years. Of course, the struggle in Palestine is directly related to the struggle in Rojava, and the entire Middle East. For a new democratic society to develop, occupation must be overcome so that the peoples can begin to live together. Though, whether it is in the name of Palestinian, Kurdish or Israeli people, the answer cannot be more nation-states, and will not be solved through nation-states, nor ethno-nationalism. The Kurdish people have taken on more than just the struggle for their own liberation, but a greater struggle for a new way of life, a free life, a way for all peoples of the world. Protecting this struggle means protecting the hope of a new world.

Turkey is proclaiming these current attacks as the “first phase of the war”.

This war is destroying the foundations of life of the people, with attacks affecting both material and immaterial conditions. The resistance here is based on the people. Turkey wants the people to become refugees and leave the border areas. An empty land is easier to occupy. This is the tactic used for years, but the current attacks are marking a new “total” dimension of this.

Simply put: In the middle of a so-called “refugee-crisis”, a NATO State is taking the natural foundations of Life of millions of people.

There are speculations about the next phase of this war. It could possibly be the directed assassination of people in leading positions of the Self-Administration. Provoking uprisings against the Self-Administration through the people, due to worsened conditions is also possible. It is possible that some regions get attacked more intensely to provoke mass migration. All of this is possible. But…

What is certain is our resistance, our conviction, and our clarity.

Together we are defending Rojava.

Together we are fighting against Turkish fascism.

Together with all people who are ready to defend the revolution of Women’s Freedom, Ecology and Democracy.

Together with all those combating the causes of displacement and dispossession.

Together with all those defending our forests, plains, and mountains all over the world, by all means necessary.

Together with all those shouting Jin Jiyan Azadi!

For all those, who walked this path before us and for all those following after us. For all those who are on the search for freedom. For constructing a new life where capitalism, nationalism and patriarchy have no potential to exist.

We invite all of you, to defend the revolution in Kurdistan and North-East Syria with us. The ways and possibilities are as many as the stars in the sky. What is most important is that we have conviction and that our numbers are many.

In the last days we saw friends in 5 continents demanding freedom for Abdullah Öcalan. This gave abundant strength and energy- we send our revolutionary greetings to all of you!

Bijî Rêber Apo!

Bijî Berxwedana Rojava!

Long live revolutionary Internationalism!

JIN JIYAN AZADÎ!

In Love and Connection,

Your friends, colleagues, classmates

Your sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, grandchildren, cousins

The comrades of your sons and daughters, who give their lives defending the revolution

Internationalists in Rojava – October 12^th, 2023

P.S.: Below we send you some ideas and contacts for participation.

Serkeftin!

Original text first published on: https://messagefrominternationalistsinrojava.wordpress.com/a-message-from-the-internationalists-in-rojava/

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