The struggle of the people of northern and eastern Syria against the darkness and oppression of this era has revived the faith of nations once again. Kobani, with its historic resistance, has become became a symbol of the human quest for freedom. The truth revealed in Kobani was the truth of a resilient and honorable people. Meanwhile, the system of capitalist modernity attacked society with utmost brutality under the guise of ISIS, as ISIS is a product of capitalist powers. With its oppression and savagery, it became a calamity for the people. No power was able to defend the light in the face of darkness. However, our forces and our people confronted ISIS mercenaries with great courage and managed to defeat them.
In 2014, ISIS laid siege to Kobani with the support of external forces, especially the Turkish occupying state, and brought about atrocities unheard of. ISIS left behind unforgettable tragedies and pain on soil, carrying out a acts of genocide against our peoples. But the will of our people was stronger than ISIS, and the will of women in their struggle for freedom led them to victory. In Kobani, women fighters waged a tremendous resistance without seeking support from any external forces. These fighters, determined despite limited resources, risked their precious lives in order to defend their people. As the world witnessed the truth of our fighters and our people, they rallied around this resistance. Kobani’s resistance created a spirit of solidarity among people and a turning point for freedom seekers to defend humanity against darkness.
As revolutionary women, we organized ourselves under the banner of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), which continue to grow stronger, writing heroic epics in the fight against ISIS. In every corner of Kobani, we wrote legends of our resistance. Each time ISIS attacked, it faced the great resistance of revolutionary women. Women’s leadership in the Kobani resistance changed the world’s perception of women and overturned all previously held notions about them. The steadfastness of women freedom fighters such as heroines like Rêvan Rojava, Arîn Mîrkan, Zehra Penaber, and Viyan Peyman, who sacrificed their lives for the struggle for freedom, provided an exemplary model of courage and sacrifice, and defined the standards of women’s liberation.
Today as well, the fighters of the Women’s Protection Units, with the same spirit of Kobani’s resistance, continue to stand in the trenches at Tishrin Dam and Qaraqozak Bridge against the same dark forces, refusing to allow any oppressive power to occupy even a part of their homeland. The resistance of our people and the protection units has created a culture of perseverance and determination to achieve victory, no matter the circumstances. Today this reality is seen as Tishrin dam, were the people of North-East Syria continue their struggle alongside their fighters to safeguard their achievements and regardless of what happens, the people’s determination for their freedom will persist.
The women’s revolution is a truth solidified through the participation of all the peoples of northern and eastern Syria in embodying the paradigm of a democratic and ecological nation and demanding women’s freedom.
We, as the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), reaffirm our commitment to our struggle for freedom and democracy. The spirit of Kobani’s resistance is our truth and the truth of our people. With the spirit of Kobani’s victorious resistance, we will confront all barbaric occupational attacks. On the occasion of the anniversary of Kobani’s liberation, we remember with gratitude all the martyrs who gave their lives in this great resistance, starting with the martyrs Arîn, Rêvan, Viyan, Mîdîa, and Zehra. We pay tribute and salute the resistance of our people and all revolutionaries striving for freedom. We walk in the footsteps of our martyrs and are determined to continue the struggle for freedom until the last breath.
General Command of the Women’s Protection Units
25.01.2025
