RIHA - 9 years have passed since the historical resistance against the darkness of ISIS in Kobanê. Sara Xelîl from the Euphrates Canton Women's Council pointed out that the city was liberated with the spirit of unity.

 

9 years have passed since the liberation of the Northern and Eastern Syrian city of Kobanê. Founded in 2013, ISIS occupied many cities in Iraq and Syria in a short time. It captured Raqqa in January 2014 and Mosul in June 2014. ISIS then targeted Kobanê, where the Kurds governed themselves. Kobanê was one of the cantons where self-government was declared by the Kurds and their supporters after the civil war in Syria that started in 2011.

 

THE RESISTANCE THAT MADE HISTORY

 

The attacks launched by ISIS against Kobanê on 14-15 September 2014 lasted 133 days. ISIS encountered great resistance here like nowhere else. Finally, it was defeated. Thousands of Kurd youth and internationalists took part in the liberation of Kobanê. Many of them lost their lives in the historical resistance. The historic resistance ended in victory on January 26, 2015. Kobanê was completely liberated on that date.

 

ISIS members who were captured during this process later made important confessions. ISIS members admitted that the reason they targeted Kobanê instead of other cities in Syria was "Turkey's demand".

 

9 years have passed, but Turkey's air attacks here have not ended. Despite this, construction work continued uninterruptedly. The Autonomous Administration revived the completely destroyed city and carried out important work in many areas.

 

SPIRIT OF UNITY

 

Sara Xelîl, director of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Euphrates Canton Women's Council, who took part in the work in Kobanê, stated that the city's residents did not bow down to any attack. Sara Xelîl emphasized that the spirit that liberated Kobanê was the spirit of unity: "In that process, a very important unity was formed among the Kurds."

 

Recalling that mobilization for Kobanê was declared upon the call of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan, Sara Xelîl said: "After the call, the people turned towards Kobanê. In addition to the solidarity process established during wartime, communes were formed. Committees were established. Defense Committee, Health Committee, Peace Committee were announced.”

 

Pointing out that the attacks continued despite the passage of time, Sara Xelîl said: "On that day, in these lands, Mr. Ocalan's statement that 'If democracy is not realized in Syria in particular and in the Middle East in general, there will undoubtedly be heavy wars,' was once again justified. In this sense, we also witnessed the silence of the world public opinion. But it must be known that even if no one raises a voice for the Kurds, we are ready and will fight any kind of struggle for ourselves.”

 

MA / Ceylan Şahinli