17-23 OF JULY – INTERNATIONAL DAYS OF ACTION OF DEFEND KURDISTAN
Eleven years have passed since the revolution in Rojava became a beacon of hope for revolutionary forces worldwide. In times of ongoing crises of the capitalist system, Rojava shows us that social self-management, based on women’s liberation, grassroots democracy and social ecology, is possible and that it is also up to us to fight for it – determined and united.
Since Erdoğan was able to secure his autocracy through the presidential elections in May, and his power clique escalated their war of extermination throughout Kurdistan, stopping at nothing. In the free mountains of southern Kurdistan, the Turkish army flies more than 50 airstrikes every day, in which our friend Azad Şerger – Thomas S. – who comes from Germany, was also killed together with Asya Kanîreş and Koçer Medya in Xakurke on June 15th. Rojava is also under daily attack by drones and Turkey’s Islamist allies. Since the 2018 & 2019 invasions of northeastern Syria, these have held Efrîn, Serêkaniyê & Girê Spî, quietly opening the door for the Islamic State to reorganize.
Since the beginning of June alone, more than 20 people have been killed by Turkish drones, a hospital has been shelled in Tel Rifat, and the number of drone strikes has risen to over 200 in the last 3 years in Rojava alone. From Dêrik to Şehba, there is hardly a place that has not been affected. The attacks are targeted against representatives of the self-governing structures, members of the self-defense forces, and the civilian population. This type of warfare has a clear objective: as soon as people participate in any form of self-government, they run the risk of becoming victims of one of these attacks themselves. In this way, the Turkish state systematically tries to undermine the population’s trust in self-government and to put society in a state of constant fear through its terror.
Unsurprisingly, much of the technology for the drones terrorizing Rojava comes from Germany: They fly with sensors made by the German arms company Hensoldt, and the missiles’ “intelligent” warheads were built under the guidance of the German company TDW Wirksysteme, based in Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, and are controlled with technology from the Dutch company Kendrion, which has its lethal production facilities in Villingen-Schwenningen. One of these combat drones also assassinated Yusra Derwêş, Lîman Şiwêş and Firat Tuma – two pioneers of the women’s revolution and their driver – on June 20th. Yusra Derwêş was the co-chair of Qamişlo Canton, and Lîman Şiwêş was her representative. That the pioneers of the women’s movement become targets of Turkish drones and assassins of the Turkish secret service is nothing new. They are murdered because of their role in the women’s revolution and in building the democratic project of Rojava. They are murdered because they are a symbol of women’s resistance against fascism. They are murdered to send a warning to all women who organize and fight against fascism. Their murders show us the enormous violence that patriarchy uses against women who resist. That is why we must be united in continuing the resistance of the murdered women – let’s defend the revolution for which they fought and in which they showed us the way of freedom!
Only a few months ago, group pictures with the slogan of the Kurdish freedom movement “Jin, Jîyan, Azadî” were the most popular photo motif in political Berlin – especially among the Greens. But when it comes to the war that Turkey is waging against the very women’s movement that coined this slogan, they remain silent. The hypocrisy of this policy is demonstrated not least by the fact that Annalena Baerbock posed for a photo with her new Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan one day after the murder of Yusra Derwês and Lîman Şiwêş. Hakan Fidan, who was previously the head of the Turkish intelligence service, was not only responsible for supplying weapons to the IS, but also for the murder of Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez in Paris in 2013, not to mention the countless other war and human rights crimes throughout Kurdistan.
One thing is clear: we will not overlook the complicity of our governments! Let us defend Kurdistan today with the spirit of resistance of the women’s movement! On the anniversary of the revolution that began on 19.07.2012, we call for action! The war in Kurdistan, the drone attacks on Rojava, the feminicides against the Kurdish women’s movement can only be broken with a united will.
Therefore, get ready for the International Days of Action from July 17th to 23rd. We call on you, respond to the attacks, do die-ins in public places, inform about the achievements in Rojava, organize celebrations on the anniversary of the revolution and remember the fallen! Let’s respond properly to the attacks! Stop the drone war on Rojava!
Long live to international solidarity!
Jin Jiyan Azadî!
Şehîd Namirin!
P.S: Please send pictures and videos of your actions + a small explanation of who, when, where, why you did which action to info@defend-kurdistan.com. We will then use them for our media work.
