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Dear friends,
Today we bring you the latest news from Rojava, the heart of the women’s revolution.
The last few days in Rojava have been full of movement and change. The first agreements of the integration agreement between the Syrian transitional government and the self-administration of northeast Syria are being implemented.
Release of 100 prisoners
As part of the integration agreement, 100 imprisoned fighters were released yesterday from the prisons of the Syrian transitional government. The released prisoners were welcomed by their families and the community with joy and relief in Hesekê. There were many loving embraces, and people danced in the streets.
At least 1,200 civilians were killed during the Syrian transitional government’s offensive in January 2026. Most of the victims were women and children.
More than 2,000 civilians were abducted, and in over 500 cases, the whereabouts of those abducted remain unknown to this day.
German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann and her Kurdish colleague Ahmed Polad have been missing since January 18, and there are no clues as to their whereabouts. Eva Maria Michelmann’s family is demanding an investigation into their disappearance and that the Syrian transitional government take responsibility.To show our solidarity with the missing and imprisoned, Kongra Star is launching a petition. Sign it to stand up for justice and freedom for the prisoners and missing persons!
Opening of the M4 connecting road
Today marks a significant step: the M4 highway has been reopened after years of closure. It had been impassable since 2019 due to the political and military situation.
The road is of great strategic importance as it is a vital link between the Cizre region and Aleppo. Along its route, it connects several central cities, including Hesek, Raqqa, Koban, Minbic, and Aleppo.
The M4 therefore plays a crucial role in both civilian traffic and the transport of goods and supplies. Its reopening facilitates exchanges between the regions of northern and eastern Syria and other parts of the country and could contribute to the economic and social stabilization of the region.
Afrin
Another step in the integration agreement that has been completed in recent days is the return of displaced families from Afrin to their homeland. After eight years of displacement, the first convoy arrived in Afrin and was greeted by large crowds. The community celebrated the arrival in the streets and welcomed the families. There was dancing—in the hope of a new beginning in their old lives.
Another group of 200 families is scheduled to return to the Rajo district and the city center of Afrin on March 12.
In 2018, Afrin was attacked and besieged by the Turkish army and its jihadist allies. With the siege, the Turkish state attempted to crush the revolution and democratic life in Rojava.
During the war on Afrin, democratic civil society worldwide supported the resistance in Afrin and protested against the war of aggression, while global powers either actively supported Turkish fascism, tacitly agreed to it, or allowed the invasion.
The war crimes committed by the Turkish state and jihadist groups exposed people to massive violence, and all kinds of human rights violations were committed. This particularly affects women, who are subjected to systematic forms of rape, abduction, and other gender-based violence.
Sharia laws were also imposed on the ethnically and religiously pluralistic society of Afrin. This is no coincidence. We can see that the enemies of the revolution understood very well that the freedom of a society is linked to the freedom of its women.
Turkey deliberately carried out demographic change in Afrin by settling the families of jihadist fighters in the homes of people displaced from Afrin. The thousands of displaced people from Afrin live in difficult conditions in the places where they have found refuge. While living there in tents, they continue to be attacked by the Turkish army and suffer repeatedly from the embargo around the region.
This week, seven Kurds were murdered by jihadist groups in the Afrin region. According to reports, a family of four was found dead in their apartment in Aleppo, and three young men were shot dead in Cindirês after being tortured.
What awaits the families in Afrin remains uncertain. Security measures are being taken by the local Asayish structures, which will consist of members of the families. The people continue to resist and refuse to be intimidated.
Serê Kaniyê
Preparations are also underway in Serê Kaniyê for the return of displaced persons. Groups supported by Turkey have withdrawn from the areas around Serê Kaniyê (Ras al-Ayn) to hand over control to the Asayish security forces. Asayish commander Siyamend Afrin stated that the displaced residents of Serê Kaniyê would be allowed to return to their homes.
Before Turkish troops withdrew from Serê Kaniyê, members of the groups “Ahrar al-Sharqiya” and “Jaysh al-Islam” looted and destroyed the homes of displaced persons, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
This act once again demonstrates the hateful and fascist mentality of the Turkish state, which seeks to destroy human dignity.
Death of Dilan Karaman
On November 27, 2025, Dilan died as a result of a suicide attempt in Amed. Suicides are not solely caused by individual failure or illness, but also show us that social systems and lifestyles can lead people into hopeless situations.
The death of Dilan Karaman shows an increasing uprooting of community life and social structures. At the same time, mental illness and stress are on the rise worldwide—a phenomenon that must be understood not only individually but also structurally.
These developments can be interpreted in the context of a capitalist way of life. The resulting systemic failure is deeply rooted in social structures and forms the backdrop against which the circumstances of the journalist and Jin columnist’s death must also be considered.
After Dilan Karaman’s death, a women’s commission was formed to highlight the human rights, social, and institutional background of the case. The commission identifies important levels of violence to which women are exposed on a daily basis.
Prior to her death, Dilan Karaman was subjected to intimate partner violence, which has a massive impact on women’s health. Her work in the digital media sector meant that she worked non-stop, with no clear boundary between work and private life. She was also confronted with exclusion and devaluation within her work structures. She was excluded, publicly criticized, and burdened with too many tasks. The commission sees this as a clear pattern of ongoing bullying.
Economic factors, debt, rising living costs, and financial insecurity prevented Dilan Karaman from defending herself against excessive work demands or openly addressing institutional pressure.
Dilan Karaman’s death cannot be viewed in isolation and is linked to institutional work structures, political forms of organization, and social dynamics. We must not simply accept such circumstances. They make us sick. We want a life of freedom—without fear and without oppression.
The Commission is therefore calling for fundamental changes, including a clear division of tasks in political structures, transparent responsibilities, and independent control mechanisms against bullying and psychosocial violence.
But we as a society must also question our liberal behaviors and isolated lifestyles and develop collective practices with which we can defend ourselves against the attacks of the system.
“When a woman says, ‘I’m feeling very bad,’ that’s not a conversation, it’s an alarm,” the report states.
“When a woman says, ‘I’m not safe here,’ that’s not a feeling, it’s an emergency.”
Call for Newroz
On March 21, we celebrate Newroz in traditional and colorful clothes, light torches, and dance in resistance. Anticipation and excitement spread throughout the Kurdish areas. Colorful clothes are taken out of the closets, tried on, and exchanged. Some women make appointments with seamstresses to have new clothes made.
More and more women are dressing up in their traditional clothes and jewelry and taking photos.
Newroz—the festival of spring, blossoming, and new beginnings. The festival stands for resistance against oppression as well as for history, tradition, and the collective desire for freedom.
And with these words, we send you revolutionary greetings from Rojava.
