The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) made a statement in Hesekê regarding the plans for Rojava which has been under attack by government-affiliated and Turkish-backed militias for days.
Reading the press statement, Hesen Koçer, deputy co-chair of the Democratic Autonomous Administration, drew attention to the attacks that have continued since January 6, stating, “This aggression aims to destroy the Kurdish people and democratic forces. The goal is to eliminate the Democratic Autonomous Administration. They want to revive ISIS and destroy the local population. The resistance at Al-Aqtan Prison in Raqqa, where thousands of ISIS members are held, is the clearest example of this. SDF fighters are still resisting there with all their might. Despite all the attacks, anti-ISIS forces are not intervening. This means that international forces are complicit in the massacres committed in the region.”
Emphasizing that the Kurdish people have risen up against the war of annihilation, Hesen Koçer called on all Kurds to protect their gains and honor: “Today, they are targeting the honor of the Kurdish people. The Kurdish nation is under attack. We must all be ready to defend ourselves.”
“International powers have shown their true colours, revealing their refusal to intervene in the release of ISIS members from prison,” said Hesen Koçer, continuing: “It has become clear that they want a terrorist state to rule Syria. They will pit them against the Hashd al-Shaabi forces in Iraq. Our people must be ready to defend themselves. We will protect all the gains of our people. The Kurdish people should not leave their homes.”
Calling on democratic forces around the world to support the Rojava resistance, Koçer stated, “The Kurdish people should take action in all the countries where they live, especially in Europe. Everyone must see our determined stance. We will never surrender our lands. We wanted peace, but they forced us to surrender. At the last meeting, we we told to lay down our arms and surrender.”