78-year-old İsmail Ceylan, who is maintaining a border vigil in the village of Elizer, takes part in a human chain every morning to salute the YPG/YPJ fighters. He says to them: “You are not alone. We do not accept these borders.”
78-year-old İsmail Ceylan, who is maintaining a border vigil in the village of Elizer, takes part in a human chain every morning to salute the YPG/YPJ fighters. He says to them: “You are not alone. We do not accept these borders.”
The border vigil in support of the resistance in Kobanê and to protect the border is continuing. People of all ages from all over Turkey and Kurdistan and delegations from all over the world come to the villages in Suruç district to join the vigil. One of these villages is Elizer (Çengelli), where one of those at the vigil is 78-year-old İsmail Ceylan, who expresses his happiness that the village on the other side of the border, Kosik, has been liberated. Ceylan says: “I am so grateful to the YPJ/YPG fighters for cleansing our village of those filthy gangs.”
Ceylan said that when ISIS had occupied the village of Kosik the gangs had constantly fired at them from the other side of the border. “We celebrated when they were driven out, leaving only their corpses behind,” he added.
‘Artificial borders divided us’
Ceylan mentioned the Sykes Picot Agreement, on which the artificial borders were based, saying: “These borders separated uncles from cousins, and brother from brother. We and the people in Kosik are relatives. They drew a border between us and prevented our seeing each other.”
‘YPG/YPJ are not alone’
Ceylan says he participates in the human chain each morning to boost the morale of the YPG fighters. “We want them to know they are not alone. We are here protecting our borders day and night. If I had been younger I would have been the first to join the YPJ/YPG ranks and fought against the gangs,” he added.
