The process in Damascus has reached its conclusion. That chapter is now closed. A new phase has begun. The people of Rojava have started to shape a new course in history. Attempts to impose surrender through pressure from Ankara and dictates issued in Damascus will prove futile. Humanity will soon witness renewed resistance in Rojava against ISIS and those who stand behind it.
Until now, in the name of the so-called “peace process” and out of a sense of responsibility, every possible step that could be construed as a concession was taken. All avenues toward a resolution were explored. Efforts to reach compromise and agreement were pursued to their absolute limits. Yet despite the Rojava administration’s consistent goodwill, the negotiations held, and the commitments made, the prospect of resolving the crisis through dialogue, negotiation, and democratic means was ultimately abandoned. At the meetings held in Damascus on 19 January, attended by international mediators, all prior assurances were dismissed. What was placed on the table was not negotiation, but a single, uncompromising demand for surrender. Such an imposition, presented under the guise of negotiation, was inevitably rejected. The process was thus driven into a deadlock. The decision to resist emerged not as a choice, but as a necessity forced by these baseless and coercive demands. One reality must be clearly understood by both allies and adversaries alike: the people of Rojava will never surrender. Their decision is clear and unequivocal: they will resist the very end.
A clear understanding of the developments unfolding on the battlefronts is urgently needed. As the result of an ill-fated agreement with international and regional dimensions, one concluded to the detriment of the Kurds, Rojava has been drawn into a new war. The area often described as “North and East Syria” refers to territories that were liberated through the struggle against ISIS. Even if the consequences are unexpectedly negative, withdrawal from these areas does not constitute a defeat. Their integration had already been among the issues placed on the agenda through the agreement itself.
Neither Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) nor its leadership shows any genuine will to resolve the Syrian question or to safeguard the gains of the Rojava Revolution. Peaceful avenues pursued by Rojava, narrowed and constrained through the Imralı talks, were consistently blocked by Turkey. Those who believed that unconditional surrender could be imposed through blunt coercion, subtle pressure, or faits of accomplis were bound, sooner or later, to face confrontation on the battlefield. At this moment, when the knife has reached the bone, the war now underway is one that will determine the future of the Kurds.
The war unfolding in Rojava has already revealed a high degree of resolve. It has demonstrated a will to resist that shatters all attempts at enforced surrender. Rojava is becoming a center of resistance, one that brings Kurdish unity to the fore and mobilizes the people through a shared spirit of collective action. Efforts to impose surrender on Rojava are, in fact, opening the path toward a greater Kurdistan and toward national unity. The rest, let the colonial powers contend with it.
There is a lived reality of a people who have gained experience and will not be deceived by the psychological warfare tactics of the Turkish state and Damascus-based mercenaries. Forged within a culture of resistance that confronts death with halays (a traditional Kurdish line dance) and ululations, the will of this people will not be easily subdued. No one should doubt that this historic resistance, rooted in the people’s own strength, will ultimately prevail. Even if the entire world stands against it, a just and dignified struggle for life is being waged in Rojava. If attempts to impose surrender and humiliation on people who have tasted freedom persist, this defensive war will continue.
As the Middle East is reshaped, the resistance that Kurds demonstrate in the specific context of Rojava will determine the future and destiny of the Kurdish people. We must never forget that the greatest source of strength lies in unity and solidarity, without dependence on external powers, without expectations placed elsewhere, and without falling for psychological propaganda. With the knowledge that all Kurds and their friends are invited to this war of honor, this ordeal will be overcome together.
Source: Yeni Özgür Politika