The Free Press Union (YRA) issued a statement on the attacks carried out by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the ISIS mercenaries, as well as the heavy siege imposed on Kobanê.
The statement said: “At a critical moment in the history of the region, the cities of Rojava, particularly the city of Kobanê, are being systematically attacked before the eyes of the world by HTS and ISIS mercenaries supported by the Turkish state. At the same time, the siege continues at an extreme level, marked by electricity, water, and internet cutoffs, as well as ongoing war crimes and genocide.
What is happening in Kobanê today is not a military confrontation. It is a systematic assault aimed at isolating a city from the world, starving its population, and abandoning its people to death like prey. This constitutes a direct violation of all international and humanitarian laws and conventions.”
They want to break the will of a people defending a dignified life
Under these harsh winter conditions, children, women, and the elderly are being kept under siege. Access to medicine, food, fuel, water, and electricity is being cut off. The aim is to break the will of people who demand nothing more than a dignified life and the right to freedom.
The ongoing attacks on the Jazira Region and the city of Kobanê constitute a systematic war of genocide, aimed at destroying the gains of a people who played a leading role in protecting humanity against terrorism. All parties responsible for these attacks are accountable for every humanitarian catastrophe resulting from their escalation.
Journalists are being targeted alongside civilians
Alongside civilians, journalists in Kobanê are also being targeted and threatened with death. Serious violations are being committed against them to silence the voice of free thought and conceal the truth. The internet blackout in the city is yet another crime, intended to prevent journalists in Kobanê from conveying the voices of people under siege and the massacres targeting children, women, and the elderly to the world.
The silence of the international community in the face of these crimes is unforgivable. It serves as a dangerous cover for the continuation of bloodshed. Silence is not neutral; it is complicit.
For this reason, and as a matter of moral and professional responsibility, we issue an urgent call to the international community and all its institutions, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, all media institutions and organizations, unions, and press associations.
Intervene immediately. Stop these attacks. Lift the siege on Kobanê. Ensure the protection of civilians and journalists. Guarantee for the unconditional delivery of humanitarian aid. Force those responsible for crimes against innocent people to be held accountable.
Kobanê left alone in the face of a killing machine
Kobanê, which saved the world from terrorism and defended human values, has today been left alone in the face of a killing machine and a siege. We must not allow the burial of truth or the normalization of the blood of innocents.
As the Free Press Union, we reaffirm our commitment to be the free voice, the word, and the faithful camera of Kobanê. Let us all become the press of Kobanê. Together, let us build a free communication front that defends truth and the right to life, and exposes crimes and oppression.
Let us raise our voices
Let us become a bridge carrying this pain to the conscience of the world, and raise our voices before new massacres, massacres that history will not forgive, are allowed to take place.”