Solidarity with Western Kurdistan (Rojava)
The Middle East continues to resemble a tinderbox. The barbaric organization ISIS increasingly terrorizes the entire region. Apart from attacks on Kurdish regions in Northern Iraq, where ISIS repeatedly massacres Kurds (especially Êzîdîs), Christians, and Turkmen -Mosul and Tikrit have already been captured-, ISIS has resumed attacking the Kobanê region in Northern Syria since mid-September in the most brutal ways. The region had already been targeted by the terror organization in the summer of this year. By 18 September 2014, already 21 villages had to be evacuated due to ISIS attacks, forcing thousands of people to flee. If the Kobanê region falls under ISIS control, more massacres with thousands of deaths and hundred thousands of refugees will be inevitable.
Rojava as a democratic model in the Middle East
Kobanê is one of the three cantons in Rojava (Western Kurdistan/ Northern Syria), in which autonomy was declared in November 2013 under a democratic constitution with the participation of all religious and ethnic groups. The creation of grassroots-democratic self-governance structures in Rojava pose a democratic alternative for the entire Middle East, beyond nationalist, religious fundamentalist, patriarchal and capitalist foundations. For the protection of these democratic gains, the defence forces of the cantons in Rojava formed a joint military front with different combat units belonging to the Free Syrian Army, the Burkan El Firat alliance, in order to collectively fight against ISIS in Kobanê.
Turkey supports ISIS
The democratic model in Rojava is a thorn in the side of terror groups such as Al Qaeda, Jubhat al Nusra, and IS, as well as to regional and international forces. According to news reports, military equipment was transported via train across the Turkish-Syrian border and taken by IS. There have already been reports in the past about Turkish support for ISIS in their attacks on Rojava. This obvious support by the AKP government, which has increased its own military presence near the border to Kobanê, happens right in front of the eyes of the international public.
While the attacks of the terror militia IS in Iraq and South Kurdistan at the beginning of August of this year were observed and condemned with great urgency, the attacks of this same terror organization on Rojava have been totally ignored.
We call on the international public to break its silence in the face of these brutal attacks on Rojava. The international powers have to make sure that Turkey ceases its blatant support for the organization of the Islamic State.
Without stopping the support for IS from such states, IS cannot be adequately defeated.
The fight against ISIS cannot be selective and regional, but must be global, united and determined
Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) statement, 17 September, 2014