The Peoples’ Caravan to Defend Humanity and the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) released a declaration titled “We defend Rojava – We defend humanity! Together, we will expand our struggles,” which states the following:
“With the call for general mobilization by the Democratic Self-Administration of North and East Syria on January 18, 2026, a new phase in the defense of the revolution began.
Aware that the revolution in Rojava faced an existential threat, hundreds of thousands of people around the world assumed responsibility for its defense. They defended not only the revolution in Rojava, but humanity, the hope for a democratic society, the liberation of women, and the possibility of a peaceful and ecological life.
Fueled by the spirit of resistance manifesting on the borders of Rojava, in the streets of Europe’s cities, in the trenches of Kobanê, and with a deep awareness of the history of internationalism, hundreds of thousands of people raised their voices in a united “NO PASARAN” – “There will be no passage for fascism!” With this slogan of internationalism from the Spanish Revolution, they stood alongside the people of Rojava. In this spirit, they joined the resistance and sought to tear down the borders between themselves and the city of Kobanê, itself a symbol of resistance and freedom.
Thus began the People’s Caravan. A caravan of solidarity and lived internationalism from Colombia, France, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland, Slovenia, Catalonia, England, Ireland, Kurdistan, Iran, Germany, and Austria, all the way to the city of Kobanê. A caravan of people: journalists, craftspeople, physiotherapists, paramedics, filmmakers, doctors, and farmers. Democrats, socialists, anarchists, communists, and feminists. Despite their differences, they were united by their will to defend a life of dignity. Thus, one hundred people from more than thirteen regions of the world joined together in a common call to defend the Rojava Revolution.
From the very first kilometer of its long journey, the caravan embodied the values of the revolution. It was sustained by the strength of the women and their autonomous organization, their connection to society, and their ethics. It was sustained by the spontaneity of the youth and their mutual solidarity and shared hope. At every stop, hundreds gathered to welcome the caravan, families came together to feed it and bid it farewell as it continued its journey.
Thus, part of the caravan reached the Greek-Turkish border, where they made a powerful statement of resistance and solidarity. Another part reached the Kurdish city of Amed, where they joined forces with the youth of the DEM party in the resistance of the Kurdish people and embraced their internationalist responsibility. One more part of the caravan reached Istanbul, where they shared the grief, pain, and will to resist with the Peace Mothers.
But the Turkish state tried to block the caravan’s path to Kobanê. As early as January 28, 16 internationalists were stopped, arrested, mistreated, and deported by the Turkish police on their way from Amed to Merdîn.
In Istanbul, the caravan joined forces with the delegation of the Peoples’ Democratic Congress to continue their journey. On the evening of January 29, the caravan, together with the HDK and the DEM party, set off for Suruç, near the border crossing into besieged Kobanê, with a strong spirit of resistance and great solidarity. Their journey was accompanied by songs and slogans in various languages.
This action thwarted all attempts by the Turkish state to prevent us from reaching the city of Suruç. On January 30, the caravan was joyfully welcomed by the residents of the city. At a joint demonstration, the shared resistance and support for Kobanê were reaffirmed.
Like Kobanê, Suruç has also become a symbol. Eleven years ago, through the initiative of the socialist youth movement, Suruç became one of the strongest examples of revolutionary solidarity. Young people from all parts of Turkey had gathered at the Amara cultural center to cross the border to Kobane together in order to help with the reconstruction of the city. On July 20th, 2015, 33 of these comrades were killed in a bomb attack by the Islamic State. To this day, their names are not forgotten and still stand for the sisterhood of the people.
Today, as the Peoples’ Caravan and the Peoples’ Democratic Congress, we share the honor of gathering in Suruç in the same dream and the same struggle of those 33 comrades. Together we have assumed the responsibility of supporting, defending, and expanding the revolution in Rojava. For this, we risk every form of attack. For the caravan, this meant arrest, imprisonment, violence and torture, and ultimately, deportation. But this was not unforseen, rather a risk all were willing to take; the caravan’s motto became: “We defend Rojava – until deportation.” The caravan had joined the internationalist call to accept none of the artificial borders and, in doing so, to establish solidarity with all who resist.
In this spirit, we became brothers and sisters to one another in less than a day. There was no “us” and “them”, no “I” and “you”, but only a shared voice of internationalism and the defense of humanity.
Yet the Turkish state could not accept the caravan’s presence. Nearly 30 more comrades were arrested and taken into deportation detention, where they were subjected to torture and mistreatment until they were deported to their home countries. But in every city to which they were deported, friends, comrades and families welcomed them with great enthusiasm. Thus, the spirit of resistance from Kobanê spread once again to every corner of Europe.
Even with the imprisonment of the caravan in Suruç, the Turkish state could not silence the voice of fraternity. The caravan is wherever people believe in the power of internationalism. Four other friends of the caravan, who had been supporting the resistance of the people in Amed against the attacks on Rojava for days, were arrested and deported in a police operation, an attempt to destroy the connection between peoples.
All 50 of our friends who crossed the border into Turkey in recent days to make their way to Kobanê and were arrested and deported, deserve our utmost respect and admiration. The attacks against them were directed against their lived internationalism. An internationalism that defends communitarian socialism against racism, sexism, nationalism, and militarism. An internationalism that defends the will of peoples for an equal and free coexistence.
In the spirit of this internationalism, we call upon all people worldwide: Strengthen your solidarity with all people fighting for freedom! Let us stand united against the attacks on the Rojava Revolution, as we close ranks in the defense of humanity!
We will continue to defend Rojava! Together, we will expand our struggles!”