“Turkey’s attacks on Kobanê have several aims”

“To what extent did four-year-old Abdo, who lost his leg in an attack, threaten Turkey’s security?” asks Mistefa Îto, co-chair of the Kobanê Council, in an interview with ANF. He holds Russia and the USA equally responsible for the Turkish attacks. He stresses that the Turkish state wants to destroy the democratic model in north-east Syria, spread fear, expand the occupation zone and manipulate the public at the same time.

Attacks on Kobanê have intensified recently. Why is the Turkish state attacking Kobanê?

Since the beginning of the revolution in Syria, as part of the project of a democratic nation, we have been striving for a system that includes all peoples, cultures and religions and allows them to live together. The rulers do not want such a system to emerge in Kurdistan and the Middle East. For this reason, we have been attacked since the beginning until today. The Turkish state is carrying out these attacks because it wants to prevent the emergence of a democratic system. The development of the project of a democratic nation in north-eastern Syria benefits the people of the whole of Syria and it is also to the benefit of the peoples living in Turkey. This is not what the Turkish state wants and this is also why it let ISIS attack Kobanê. Kobanê was not a place that would have brought economic income to the ISIS and was in a strategic position for them. There were only the people there who started the revolution of Rojava as an organised population and believed in the project of a democratic nation. That is why Kobanê was attacked in 2014 and why it is still a constant target today.

The Turkish state is attacking residential areas and the civilian population, citing its own security as the justification. What is the real target?

In the last bombing, four-year-old Abdo lost a leg. He is fighting for his life. To what extent has he threatened Turkey’s security? Nowhere between Kobanê and Ain Issa have military posts been bombed; the aggression only affects the population. Even the time of the attacks has a purpose. The attacks come at noon when the children are coming home from school. The aim is to spread fear in society. As well as the Turkish state, Russia and the US-led international coalition are also responsible. The Turkish state is empowered by their silence to carry out the attacks.

Immigrants from all over Syria live in the autonomous region of northern and eastern Syria. With its attacks, the Turkish state is at the same time refreshing its support for ISIS. It wants to help it to regain strength. The Turkish state wants to distract attention from its political, social and economic crisis and therefore speaks of an alleged threat from abroad.

What can the Autonomous Administration and the people do for their security and for stability in the region?

The people of north-east Syria must stay on their land, they must not leave it despite the difficult circumstances. There has been so much resistance here, people have stood up for their land. Although there have been economic difficulties since 2012 and the region has been besieged and embargoed, the people have not given up their land and they will not do so today. The resistance continues.

Furthermore, the international powers, the democratic forces and the states present in Syria must also fulfil their responsibilities. If the barbarism of the Turkish state is not stopped, the problems in Syria will not be solved in the next ten years. As long as Turkey maintains its aggressive position, there can be no stability and no political unity in Syria. There can be no unity between the peoples and a democratic constitution and system will also be made impossible. The Turkish state is harming everyone. It and its mercenaries will stop at nothing, including terrorist methods. The Turkish state is also behind the attacks in Europe. Therefore, we appeal to everyone that the attacks which are taking place in disregard of universal and humanitarian norms, must be stopped.