In Syria, after the fall of the Ba’ath regime, which failed to respond to any social demands, the crisis persists, and the fate of women and peoples continues to face grave dangers and suffering.

At this historical juncture the world is experiencing, especially in the Middle East, if the intensive and long-term negotiations for the country’s reconstruction are not handled with the utmost sensitivity, they will lose their credibility and legitimacy. In this context, while it is highly suspicious that the fate of an entire region is being determined solely by armed groups behind closed doors in Damascus on January 29, it is even more alarming that Hatim Abu Shaqra, the leader of the Ahrar al-Sharqiya group—which assassinated Future Syria Party leader Hevrin Khalaf in 2019—has joined this dubious conference. Furthermore, his appointment by the Damascus authority is a blatant disregard for the Kurdish women’s struggle, which is recognized worldwide without question. Even worse, this signals that there is no place for women in the “new Syria” that is being shaped. No conference or decision can be legitimate if women and the people are not included in it. As the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), we do not recognize the legitimacy of this conference or its resolutions.

For 14 years, we have waged a historic resistance as freedom fighters—women and men—within the ranks of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG), under the leadership of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), against ISIS, which the Justice and Development Party (AKP) calls “righteous sons” and actively supports. We fight not only to protect our people but also to defend humanity from the attacks and massacres that have taken place in numerous cities across Europe and, most recently, in the United States. We have battled ISIS and the mercenaries backed by Turkey for many years, and the entire world has witnessed this. Therefore, we cannot be expected to accept the jihadist ideology and its representatives, who seek to establish a state and revive old jihadists disguised in a new form. Today, they continue their assaults on the peoples of North and East Syria. Some may attempt to refine their image with a suit and tie, but this does not mean we will overlook the truth about these murderers—those who have spilled the blood of thousands, committed massacres, beheaded people, and gone so far as to mutilate the bodies of women with utter brutality.

These killers must be prosecuted immediately and subjected to the punishment they deserve. Additionally, the fascist leader of the Justice and Development Party, Erdoğan, who has nurtured, exploited, and deployed them, must be brought before the International Criminal Court. This is a moral duty that falls upon every individual and every institution that upholds humanity and democracy, especially all the women of the world.

The systematic killing of women marked the beginning of societal collapse in this region. Therefore, the new Syria will rise at the hands of women fighting for freedom, not at the hands of those who murder them.

JIN JIYAN AZADÎ

General Command of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ)

02.02.2025