YPJ General Commander Nesrin Abdullah made important analyses about how the Raqqa liberation operation differs from others, YPJ’s role in it, Turkey’s goals and aims in the region. Nesrin Abdullah’s comments to the ANF are as follows:

THE OPERATION IS A MULTI-PHASE PROCESS

The operation to liberate Raqqa is a process. The phases are launched, carried out and finalized taking into consideration the climate and the regional and geographical conditions. Considerations like our forces’ rest, training and technical supplies also play a role.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT IN THIS OPERATION

There are some differences in this operation to the previous ones in purpose and aims.

- The main difference is that it has full support from the locals. All regional constituents have made statements in front of the media announcing their support. Again, thousands of young Arab men and women have joined this operation. We can say that the Raqqa operation has put the Arab people’s revolution on its course as well. The Syrian revolution started in Deraa under the leadership of the Arab people. The true leader of this revolution has not emerged. Those who have are tools used by the regional and international forces. They have steered the revolution off its path. The Raqqa operation has put the revolution on its true path by the unity it has created among peoples of the region.

- Secondly, with so many young Arabs joining, the core for the national army of Democratic Syria has been formed. We can say that it has been made whole. This is not an army that attacks other people, wanting to colonize them. This is an army that is built on the philosophy of self defense and the defense of all peoples.

SDF IS NOT JUST A MILITARY FORCE

SDF, with all the peoples coming together in it, has proven that it is the core of the army of Democratic Syria with its last operation. It isn’t right to consider the SDF, which YPG and YPJ are a part of, as only a military force. It is also a social force. Because they display an ethical stance everywhere they liberate. They protect the social, historical and cultural values of the peoples in the places they liberate. SDF is a social, moral and cultural defense force.

BUILDING THE FEDERATION IN NORTHERN SYRIA

The Raqqa Operation is the operation to build the Northern Syria Democratic Federation. In every place that’s liberated, the system for the people to govern themselves are being built. This is the revolution. The revolution isn’t complete until the systems for self governance for societies, groups, cultures and genders are built.

THE ROLE AND THE DUTY THE YPJ TAKES ON

The YPJ’s presence, role and resistance force are a fundamental element that differentiates our revolution from others.

- YPJ was in the front lines in all three phases of the Raqqa operation with fighters and commanders. YPJ took part in this operation as representation and coordination by the command. This operation has been commanded and coordinated by 2 commanders from SDF and YPJ.

- YPJ has become a regional and international model. YPJ has created a model everyone can benefit from with their resistance.

- YPJ isn’t just a force that can be considered in the military context. YPJ is an ideological force. It is a force that creates a character to guide the will, the consciousness and life. It creates a new personality and a new life in accordance with that to guarantee the perpetual presence.

- We consider the emancipation of one woman and a whole country the same. When we liberate a woman, it’s like we have liberated a country. We don’t consider only liberation is enough either. We believe we have fulfilled our duty after we have developed their will for self defense.

THE MANBIJ EXAMPLE

For example, our forces fought in Manbij. We have martyrs. After the liberation, we formed a women’s defense force there. Now there are more women fighters. They have opened their training academy under the name Martyr Sema as well. In the coming days, they will announce their Military Assembly. We have given them all the support we could in the name of training, logistics and ammunition. Our efforts to this end will continue in every aspect too. We are thinking of the same for Raqqa as well. First, the civilian assembly was declared. Then the military assembly. Now there are preparations for the women’s military assembly. We also spent the same efforts for the Assyrian women. When the third phase of the operation was launched, one of them took part in the declaration in the name of Assyrian women.

WHAT DOES TURKEY WANT?

Turkey is in a dire mess right now. The region Turkey was allowed to enter has become a veritable Bermuda triangle. Turkey’s issue is not constrained to Bab. It’s not a matter of a large piece of land either. First of all, Turkey is an invading force. Secondly, Turkey says they come to “solve the Syrian crisis”, but they constitute a crisis themselves. Turkey didn’t only betray the gang groups they allied themselves with, they betrayed the peoples of Syria under the guise of neighborliness and humaneness. It would be most accurate to define Turkey and their allied groups as a cancerous cell tainting Syria. The Syrian peoples should see this, and cut the infected part off. The “Euphrates Shield” is a cancerous tumor inflicted on the Syrian land and country. Turkey is working hard to spread this tumor. This is a tragedy for the Syrian peoples.

In the region Turkey inflicts and has invaded, the Syrian peoples are now going through a disaster.