Tens of thousands march in Sulaymaniyah for Afrin

By the call of the “Afrin Front”, founded recently by intellectuals, writers, NGO representatives and a group of MPs, a march was held today in Suleymaniye with tens of thousands of people for Afrin.

The march started in Saholeke, Suleymaniye at 11.00 and tens of thousands of protesters marched until Baxê Gişti. The protesters carried posters of Alesta Xabur, YPJ fighter who carried out a sacrifice action against the Turkish army and their gangs yesterday in Hemam, Afrin, posters of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and flags of YPG/YPJ throughout the march, while some carried olive branches. The crowd chanted "Biji berxwedana Efrinê" and "Efrin berxwedan e Silêmani piştewan e" during the march.

Mamoste Hêlin spoke in the name of the Afrin Front after the march and said that they condemn the Turkish state’s invasion: “For centuries our people were subjected to blood, tears and tyranny. Each time with a different mask. Now today the Turkish state insists on invading Afrin. Their target is our people’s free model there. Hundreds of our people have already been killed to date.”

Mamoste Hêlin said, “We are calling on human rights organizations, the international public and forces of democracy to speak up against this invasion and massacre and to take action. We will never accept the Turkish state’s invasion.”

Goran Movement MP Perwa Eli spoke in the name of the Southern Kurdistan Parliament and stated that the Turkish state is openly attempting to invade Afrin and targeting the whole of Kurdish people. Eli said the Kurdistan parliament shouldn’t stay silent in the face of this and, mentioning the number of Turkish military encampments in Southern Kurdistan rising to 18, said: “There was a previous parliamentary decree to shut down these military bases. These need to be pushed out of Kurdistan at once. I salute the Afrin resistance, Afrin is not alone.”

Abdullah Mele Nuri spoke in the name of the PUK and stated that the Turkish state has declared war on all Kurds: “Amed knows this, Hewler, Suleymaniye, Cizre, Mahabad, all of Kurdistan knows this. It is well past time we come together against these. We must stand united as one voice against these now.

Kurdistan Religious Scholars Union Chairperson Mele Necmeddin said: “I won’t say anything political. The deceitful Erdoğan has declared war on all Kurds through the use of religion. We will either unite and prevail against these, or we will all be martyred. Afrin will not fall. We won’t allow that.”

After the demonstration, a group of young people announced that they will be going to Afrin tomorrow after the demonstration.