Kobanê was born from the ashes

2023-01-25 12:51:36


	 

	URFA - Kobanê, where there was a historical 134-day resistance against ISIS, was rebuilt with the support of the people who had to leave the city during the conflict and then returned.

	 

	ISIS, which invaded many cities in Iraq and Syria without firing a single bullet, turned towards Kobanê, the northern and eastern Syrian city, on September 15, 2014. After ISIS captured the villages on the east, west and south sides of the city, they headed towards the city center. The attacks with heavy weapons hit the resistance of the People's Defense Units (YPG) and Women's Defense Units (YPJ).

	 

	YPG/YPJ fighters put up an epic resistance for 134 days with individual weapons. The resistance, supported by millions of people in 93 countries, brought victory; Kobanê city center was completely cleared of ISIS on January 26, 2015. After the darkness of ISIS, a new period of struggle began under the leadership of YPG/YPJ forces. In the first stage, the surrounding villages were liberated one by one from ISIS captivity.

	 

	The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including the YPG/YPJ, headed for Manbij, Tabqa and Raqqa to completely expel ISIS from Syrian territory. After these cities were liberated, the surviving ISIS members were trapped in a narrow area in Baxoz, and 3,000 of them surrendered.

	 

	'THE RESISTANCE OF KOBANÊ WAS CROWNED WITH VICTORY'

	 

	The Kobanê resistance, which helped to break the ISIS attacks, not only led to a military victory, but also gradually dispersed the dark clouds over Syrian lands. Ehmed Şêxo, a member of the Euphrates Region PYD Executive Council, said the following about the victory in question: "The democratic nation project of the Autonomous Administration, which is based on the common life and brotherhood of the peoples, is against reaction. They knew that Kobanê was the gateway to the Autonomous Administration. "For this reason, they wanted to target this city and destroy free thought. The enemies of freedom wanted to prevent the renaissance of the Syrian peoples by spreading reactionary ideas; however, the people of Kobanê managed to tear off the black dress that was given to them and to increase the struggle against fascism and crown their resistance with victory."

	 

	TEN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE CAME BACK TO KOBANE

	 

	After ISIS was driven out of Kobanê, those who had to migrate from the city started to return again. More than 62 thousand people who immigrated to Urfa's Suruç district and to different cities returned to Kobanê. The city, 80 percent of which was destroyed as a result of the conflicts, started to be rebuilt together. Great support was provided from the world for the construction of Kobanê.

	 

	SECOND ATTACK FROM ISIS

	 

	While the people were trying to heal their wounds, a new massacre was carried out by ISIS. A group of 80 to 100 ISIS members dressed in YPG clothes entered the southern villages of Kobanê from the Turkish border on June 25, 2015. ISIS members divided into 2 groups and attacked the city center and the village of Berx Batan. Clashes continued uninterrupted for 3 days.

	 

	In the statement made by the Kobanê Canton Executive Council on July 21, 2015, it was announced that 233 civilians lost their lives, 27 of them from the village of Berx Batan. 30 YPG/YPJ fighters lost their lives in the clashes.

	 

	THE ATTACKS OF TURKEY

	 

	The city, which was liberated from ISIS, began to be targeted by Turkey in the following years. Turkey has targeted the city 9 times with drones in the last 2 years. Turkey, encouraged by the silence of the guarantor states, has been bombarding villages in the east and west of Kobanê without interruption for years. Citing the last bomb attack that took place in Istanbul Taksim on November 13, 2022, Turkey attacked Kobanê once again on November 20. Turkey attacked Kobanê 78 times in 2022 alone.

	 

	THE AUTONOMOUS ADMINISTRATION WAS REBUILDED 

	 

	Despite all the attacks, the construction works in Kobanê continued. The Autonomous Administration rebuilt the city, 80 percent of which was destroyed, based on the paradigm of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan. Thousands of houses were built in other neighborhoods of the city, a part of which was turned into a museum. Many institutions were built in the fields of health, education, culture and arts, ecology, women and youth. Neighborhood and village assemblies and communes were formed and the participation of the people in the administration was ensured.

	 

	THE BATTLE OF LIGHT AGAINST DARKNESS

	 

	Evaluating the resistance in the city and the process that followed, Kobanê Canton Council Co-Chair Mistefa Ito said: "Kobanê was liberated with a historical resistance and defense. The attacks against Kobanê in 2014 were historical. It was not a war that took place only in a small town. The war in Kobanê was a struggle between democratic and libertarian forces and the rulers representing the darkness. The fate of humanity was shaped in Kobanê. If the forces representing terrorism were successful in Kobanê, this would have reflected on all rights. A great resistance was shown for this."

	 

	PEOPLE REBUILT THE THEIR CITIES

	 

	Noting that Kobanê was in ruins after its liberation, Îto said: "It was very difficult to live in Kobanê. There was no electricity and water in the city at that time. 80 percent of the city was in ruins. Despite all this, our citizens from Kobanê began to return to Kobanê. They showed a clear will. They said that they would rebuild their cities no matter how much their cities were destroyed. All the destroyed institutions were rebuilt. The system continues to be built with the spirit of freedom."

	 

	Noting that after ISIS was driven out of the city, Turkey targeted Kobanê this time, Îto said: "Today, Turkey is playing dirty tricks. The Baath regime is also trying to continue its attempts to oppress our people in Shehba. Obstacles are being put in place for Turkey from all sides to destroy the Democratic Autonomous Administration system. There are daily armed attacks and our civilians are losing their lives in these attacks. All the people living in Kobanê, young and old, are targets for Turkey. We will show the same resistance again.”

	 

	MA / Ömer Akın

	 

	Tomorrow: Women's resistance in Kobanê