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<h1 class="title">Kurdish leader: ‘We are resisting, despite
Turkey, West’</h1>
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<div class="field field-type-date field-field-publication-date">
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<div class="field-item odd"> <big><big><big><span
class="date-display-single">Thursday, October 9, 2014</span>
</big></big></big></div>
<big><big><big> </big></big></big></div>
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<div class="field-item odd"><big><big><big> Two fighters from
the People's Protection Units (YPG), which is defending
Kobanę from ISIS assaults. </big></big></big></div>
<big><big><big> </big></big></big></div>
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<p><big><big><big>A desperate battle by progressive Kurdish-led
resistance fighters is seeking to defend Kobanę from ISIS
fundamentalist forces. Kobanę is in Rojava, or Western
Kurdistan, is a predominantly Kurdish area in northern Syria
that is a semi-autonomous “liberated zone” experiencing a
social revolution. </big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>Large numbers of Kurds and other progressive
people have sought to cross the border from Turkey to join
the resistance. There is huge anger at what many see as
Turkey’s support for ISIS. ABC News said on October 9: “At
least 21 people have been killed in riots across Turkey, the
deadliest street unrest in years, after the Kurdish minority
rose up in fury at the government's refusal to protect
[Kobanę] from Islamic State (IS) militants.”</big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>The Democratic Union Party (PYD) is the main
political party in Rojava. In an October 8 interview in
Brussels with the Firat news agency, PYD co-chair Saleh
Muslim said he had a meeting with the Turkish authorities
last week in Istanbul: “The Turkish authorities promised us
that they would help to [save] Kobanę. But they don’t keep
their promise despite all our insistence.” </big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>Below are some key excerpts from the interview.</big></big></big></p>
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</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>***</big></big></big></p>
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</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big><strong>Are there any civilians in Kobanę except
for the fighters?</strong></big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>There are now around 10,000 people in Kobanę,
including women, children and elderly. These people don’t
want to leave the town. Our forces are defending these
people at the cost of their lives.</big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big><strong>Why do [the various powers] find your
system so threatening?</strong></big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>In our system, all the Arabs, Armenians, Syriacs,
Syrians and Kurds live under equal conditions. There is a
social contract. The women and the children are also
enjoying equal rights. Women are represented in all the
cantons with 40% quota, and also there is the co-chair
system. This is what they do not accept.</big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>Imagine, the Syriac [Christians] enjoy the right
to officially use their own language only in Rojava in the
world. All the balances in the Middle East are changing with
this system. This is why it has quite many enemies;
primarily the states having divided the Kurds up: Turkey,
Iran, Iraq and Syria. </big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>Many commanders of the [former Saddam Hussein]
Baathist regime from Iraq are now taking [their] place in
the ranks of the ISIS. These are the ones who have not
accepted the Kurds throughout the history. Their aim is to
destroy this system.</big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big><strong>Are you satisfied that the strikes of the
coalition forces have helped? Which demands do you have
for them?</strong></big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>We have been saying from the very start that we do
not demand that they “come here and fight for us”. We just
ask them to open the border gates, and sell us the anti-tank
and missiles we need and we will pay for. They aren't even
doing that. </big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>This is what we resent. It would not be true to
say that “ISIS occupied there and seized the weapons”. No.
Some forces provided these heavy weapons to ISIS. They are
using it against us. This is clear and apparent.</big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big><strong>How would you comment on the statement of
the French foreign affairs minister, who said ‘We will
help Kobanę’</strong></big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>We are fighting ISIS on our own lands for
one-and-a-half years now. This is not the war of the Kurds
alone. It is the war of the whole humanity and for
democracy. Everyone finds us right, but they remain silent.
</big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>We fight with Kalashnikovs against tanks and
missiles. We have a great human will. If we had anti-tank
and heavy weapons, no one would be needed. There would also
be no need to have all those warplanes take off in order to
hit ISIS targets.</big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big><strong>[Turkish president] Erdogan made a
statement yesterday saying that the PKK [Kurdish Workers’
Party] and YPG [People’s Protection Units] are also
terrorists to them, just like ISIS is. After this, people
who took to the streets in North Kurdistan were targeted
in armed attacks. Many people have died so far. What would
you say on this attitude of Turkey?</strong></big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>This is blackmail. There is hypocrisy here. We are
protecting the values of humanity against the ISIS gangs. </big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>Erdogan is not honest. This shows us that his
mentality is not different than that of ISIS. Kurds feel
under threat and take to the streets. Firing bullets on
these people proves that he has the same mentality with
ISIS. </big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>Because, today it might be Kobanę, but tomorrow it
might very well be Erbil, Amed and Mahabad facing the same
threat. One is killing civilians in Rojava, the other those
in North Kurdistan [the Kurdish region in Turkey].<br>
<strong>You visited Turkey last week. With whom and what
kind of meetings did you have?</strong></big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>Yes, three days ago I met the Turkish authorities
in Istanbul. They promised us to “help Kobanę”. </big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>They told us that they don’t want Kobanę to fall.
“We will open a corridor to help you. We have to be in unity
against the ISIS” they said. We found it positive. Now they
are taking time. </big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>We insist that they keep their promises. They told
us “not to explain the content of the meeting to the press”
but they themselves are attacking us.<br>
<strong>Do you have any message to the Kurdish people
demonstrating everywhere for Kobanę now?</strong></big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>What is targeted in Kobanę is the will of the
Kurds. Everyone should know it as it is and act accordingly.
We find it important that our people take to the streets and
stage protests. It is sacred to us. I am greeting all of
them. By protecting Kobanę, we are protecting the will of
Kurdish people.<br>
Kurds must be resisting. They must step up their actions to
the highest level. They have to show it to the whole world
so that no one would ever dare to attack Kurds again.</big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>I also criticise the silence of South Kurdistan
[the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq]. Some TV
channels in the south say that “this war is between the PYD
and the ISIS”. This is not true. People from parties other
than us were also beheaded and massacred. They were not
members or supporters of the PYD, they were killed because
they were Kurds. They shouldn’t feel comforted today as
South Kurdistan is also among the targets of the ISIS.</big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
</big></big></big>
<p><big><big><big>[See the full interview at <a
href="http://en.firatajans.com/news/news/saleh-moslem-turkey-has-not-kept-its-promise.htm">here</a>.]</big></big></big></p>
<big><big><big>
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