The Internationalist Commune of Rojava, Young Internationalist Women and RiseUp4Rojava-Network Coordination released a statement calling for action against Turkey’s occupation attacks on guerilla-held Medya Defense Zones in Southern Kurdistan, Northern Iraq.

The statement reads:

“On Friday, 23rd April, the Turkish fascist army launched a ground operation in the Avaşin, Metîna, and Zap region in order to occupy new parts of Southern Kurdistan. After, first bombing Mamreşo in the Avaşin region, Turkish troops were then dropped from helicopters. Bombings and ground troops extended then to Metîna, and later to the Zap region, as well. The guerrilla has given immediate responses to the attempts of occupation, inflicting severe blows to the Turkish Fascist army.

Avaşin, Metîna, and Zap are all located in the guerrilla-controlled Medya Defense areas, and it is important to re-emphasise and to understand that any attack on the Medya Defense areas are also attacks on the whole revolution, and therefore on Rojava, on the anti-fascist struggle in Kurdistan, the region, and on all of us.

These renewed attacks and attempts of occupation by the Turkish fascists are a continuation of the attacks on Garê some months ago, and also on Heftanin last year, where the heroic resistance of the guerrilla and the support of the global resistance movement resulted in devastating defeats for the fascists.

The aim of the Turkish fascists is obvious and has since not changed: They want to occupy Southern Kurdistan in order to install a buffer zone between South- and North-Kurdistan, which would facilitate a renewed invasion into Rojava and the occupation of Şengal, and also striking a major blow against the guerrilla with the goal of breaking its determination. All of this happens also with the consent of the USA, Europe and other international powers. The US, for example, renewed only recently its offer to pay several millions of Dollars as a bounty for Cemil Bayık, Duran Kalkan and Murat Karayılan, three Kurdish revolutionaries and leading cadres of the Kurdish Freedom Movement, showing that internationalist powers want to destroy the ideas and revolutionary practice coming from the Kurdish Freedom Movement!

But as in Zap, Heftanîn, and Garê before, Kurdistan is the graveyard of fascism! 

We call upon everybody to take immediate action! Take the initiative to the streets, join and organise demonstrations around you. Check out the target map on RiseUp4Rojava’s website!

Support and intensify the common struggle with the guerrilla, as we have shown some 2 months ago in a united way against the attacks in Garê! Garê was our common victory, and this time we will again be victorious together!

Together, we #UniteInResistance against fascism and occupation! Together we #SmashTurkishFascism and defend the revolution and its achievements!

The revolution in the Middle East will win – fascism will be smashed!”