With the civil war that started in Syria in 2011, the peoples who rose up against the monist Baath regime formed self-defense forces to determine their own destiny. After the first spark was lit in Daraa in the south of Syria, people of different nationalities in many cities began to search for a ""Demcoratic Syria". The Kurds and their friends adopted the third way strategy of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and built self-defense and governance systems in many places. 

 

Today, Democratic Autonomous Administration for North and East Syria, which attracts all the attention because it is the only established system that promises a future for the peoples in Syria, has been brought to this day with great costs for 13 years. Since the start of the civil war in 2011, many cities and neigbourhoods have fallen into the hands of different forces and changed hands. However, the color of Şêxmeqsud and Eşrefîyê in Aleppo, which have been under self-defense since 2012, has always remained yellow on the map. 

 

Shortly after the first spark was lit in Daraa, the peoples who took over the neighborhood administrations, with their self-defense, defeated all the attacks and embargoes of paramilitary, Salafist and regime forces in the intervening 13 years. The common life woven with the perspective of a democratic nation in the two neighborhoods promises future and hope to the peoples. Kurdish, Arab, Armenian, Assyrian and Turkmen peoples live in Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefîyê, which have completed their own organizations in many areas, especially in health, education, administration and social life. In addition, thousands of citizens of Afrin, whose lands were occupied by Turkey and the paramilitary forces it supported in 2018, also live in these two neighbourhoods. 

 

Nûrî Şêxo, Co-Chair of Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefîyê Assembly, evaluated the developments in the neighborhoods in 13 years to Mezopotamya Agency (MA). 

 

Stating that Syria entered a new threshold in 2011, Nûrî Şêxo said, "With the so-called Arab Spring, it was obvious that something would start in Syria. What happened in Tunisia and Libya could not be expected not to affect Syria. Peoples had revolted against dictators. The same fate was going to befall Syria sooner or later. There was a monist system in Syria. There was a system that did not see or speak the truth. There was the reality of Baath regime that thought to march forward by subjugating and frightening the people. In 2011, the first spark against this was lit in Daraa in the south of Syria."

 

Nûrî Şêxo reminded that when the first spark was lit in Daraa, the peoples began to seek self-governance and said, “We have taken our place here as a fundamental element of Syria. For this, we came together and discussed the questions ‘what is expected of us, what is required of us?’ In addition, we have been working on what will be our expectations and demands from the outside. We analyzed what happened in Daraa and came to the conclusion that the people were one hundred percent right.

 

'TURKEY SEES ITS EXISTENCE IN ABSENCE OF KURDS' 

 

Pointing out that the people living in Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefîyê are organized, Nûrî Şêxo continued, “In a short time, dirty negotiations began to be made against our will to govern ourselves. The nation states in the region, especially Turkey, had a hand in these dirty plans. Turkey perceives the Kurds as a threat to itself and tries to build its existence on the absence of the Kurds. The quest to create enmity between peoples with nationalist motives has existed for many years. With this, they want to prolong the life of their monist, fascist rule.”

 

Emphasizing that it was possible to clearly see Turkey's hand in the first attacks against Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefîyê, Nûrî Şêxo said, “Gangs brought from many parts of the world started to attack our neighbourhoods. The decision was taken to occupy Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefîyê neighbourhoods and massacre the people. Against this, the peoples increased their organization and expanded their self-defense. This was the response to the attacks. These two points became our basic philosophy of life.”

 

Underlining that everyone took part in the self-defense mission, “This war started in 2012. Our neighbourhoods were bombed 24 hours a day. The Baath regime approached in the same way. There were also gangs within the regime. The heroism of the peoples who resisted against the attacks emerged. The peoples chose resistance, stating that they would not surrender their will to anyone. It is said that 'war has morals and rules', but all of these were trampled on in the neighbourhoods of Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefîyê in Aleppo. Neighborhoods were randomly bombed and civilians were massacred,” Nûrî Şêxo said. 

 

"The first example of the revolutionary people's war in Syria was fought in Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefîyê neighbourhood," said Nûrî Şêxo and added, "This is an honour for us. This experience has been a great experience for North and East Syria. This experience spread all over North and East Syria and frustrated the ambitions of the occupying forces one by one. Resistance on the one hand and construction on the other began. The peoples of Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefîyê presented a brand new system to the whole world. The peoples showed the whole world how they can protect their will by resisting. If it were not for the peoples of Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefîyê, it would not be possible to talk about a democratic system in North and East Syria. What has happened in Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefîyê so far is an epic. This epic was written and continues to be written with the will of the peoples. Those who wrote this epic frustrated the ambitions of those who wanted to occupy the region completely."

 

'THE TORCH THAT ILLUMINATES THE DARKNESS'

 

Nûrî Şêxo stated that they will resist against all attacks until the end and said, "We, as the peoples of Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefîyê, want to give the following message to the whole world public opinion; the politics of occupation and fascism has lost. Our expectation was that a democratic system would be built instead. Unfortunately, a radical jihadist regime has replaced the monist Baath regime. This should not mean that our hopes are lost. The peoples of Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefîyê are a resisting right. We will continue to live here with our honour. We will be a torch illuminating the darkness here. Of course, this torch will gradually illuminate its surroundings. Syria belongs to the Syrian people. The occupying Turkish state must withdraw its hand from Syria. If the regime in Syria claims to be democratic, it must react to Turkey's occupation attempts. Turkey both interferes with the interim government and attacks Kurds in many places. We should not remain silent against this any longer."

 

MA / Emrullah Acar