The General Command of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) released a statement calling on all international institutions and forces to stand against ISIS attacks and Turkish occupation fascism and demand the expulsion of these occupying forces from the lands of southern Kurdistan, warning: “Otherwise, ISIS terrorism will return and spread everywhere again.”

The YPJ statement on Sunday includes the following:

“Today, our regions, and indeed the entire world, are facing violent attacks of denial and genocide. Humanity is in a significant crisis. We often see that a broad front of genocide, rape, and violence has been opened against women and peoples demanding freedom, justice, and democracy.

The massacres committed by ISIS in Syria, Iraq, Sinjar, Kurdistan, and across European countries remain vivid in the conscience of society and global public opinion. Arab, Kurdish, Christian, Yazidi people, and all nationalities are under attack, facing assimilation and extermination.

As the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), we fought and resisted the brutality of ISIS mercenaries with great bravery and sacrifice. Despite losing thousands of our comrades as martyrs, we fought and resisted with determination and persistence until we managed to defeat ISIS and achieve security and stability for the people of the region.

Unfortunately, we now see that the occupying Turkish state, which attacks our regions and southern Kurdistan daily, has opened the way for ISIS to settle in the areas of Zakho, Dohuk, and Amadiya to fight the guerrilla forces in the mountains of Zap and Metina and all regions of southern Kurdistan. In this way, the Turkish state tries to annex and occupy the lands of southern Kurdistan. Just as the Turkish state occupied Rojava, northern Syria, and annexed it to its territories, it now aims to annex and occupy the lands of southern Kurdistan as well. The Turkish state is attempting to occupy the lands of southern Kurdistan through ISIS mercenaries and the collaboration of the treacherous Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and its mercenaries, Zeravan and Golan.

ISIS mercenaries, who committed great massacres against peoples, attacked women with extreme brutality, and sold them in slave markets, are now based in our occupied regions in Afrin, Azaz, Al-Bab, Tel Abyad, and Sari Kani. They are equipped and funded by the Turkish state. From there, these mercenaries are directed to Kurdistan, the Middle East, and various parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. We must realize that the relocation of ISIS mercenaries to southern Kurdistan and Iraq is for the purpose of annexation, occupation, and committing new massacres.

The whole world knows that the guerrilla forces protected Sinjar, Kirkuk, Makhmour, Erbil, and the entire Iraqi people from ISIS terrorism. How, then, is ISIS being moved to these areas to fight against the freedom guerrillas? The people of southern Kurdistan and Iraq know well that Barzani himself called the guerrilla forces to protect Erbil from the brutality of ISIS. Therefore, how can Barzani allow ISIS mercenaries to move into southern Kurdistan and fight the guerrilla forces?

The Peshmerga of dignity fought against Saddam’s fascism and dictatorship for many years to protect their lands. They must realize that today’s war is waged with the same aim, and accordingly, they should not accept Barzani’s and the KDP’s partnership, which opens its arms to ISIS mercenaries. In Kobani, we fought side by side with the dignified Peshmerga who came from southern Kurdistan and international revolutionaries against ISIS and managed to defeat it. Therefore, we must unite in the spirit of Kobani and protect all of Kurdistan, Iraq, and the entire Middle East.

Undoubtedly, dozens of political parties in southern Kurdistan and Iraq have condemned this occupation, and the Arab tribes in Iraq have shown a valuable stance against it. However, this stance must turn into a large organization to stop this Turkish occupation and prevent the resurgence of ISIS. The central Iraqi government and the southern Kurdistan regional government must not be partners in this human crime and must immediately expel ISIS mercenaries and the occupying Turkish army from those sacred lands.

The whole world must see this danger and understand that the massacres committed in Iran, Russia, Paris, Germany, Africa, and Europe are orchestrated from the center in Ankara, directed by Erdoğan and Turkish intelligence. The Turkish state’s policy based on genocide and occupation is evidence that Erdoğan’s mentality is the mentality of ISIS. Erdoğan exploits ISIS terrorism as a dangerous front against all the peoples of the Middle East and the world. Therefore, the entire world must stand by the Kurdish guerrilla forces and take a firm stance against this global crime. The guerrilla forces stood against ISIS in Sinjar, Rojava, Kirkuk, Makhmour, and Erbil and prevented it from committing new massacres in the region. Remaining silent in this war means agreeing to new massacres and genocides in the Middle East and the world.

Therefore, we emphasize and say:

The people of southern Kurdistan and all of Iraq must jointly show their stance against ISIS mercenaries and strongly resist to expel Turkish fascism from their lands.

We also call on all honorable and dignified Peshmerga forces to stand against ISIS massacres and Turkish occupation and to take their place in the fronts of resistance and struggle.

We also call on the central Iraqi government and the southern Kurdistan regional government to stop this occupation immediately.

All the peoples of the region, especially the Arab, Kurdish, and Turkmen peoples living together in these lands, must stand with great will and resist against Erdoğan’s Ottoman ambitions.

The entire world, east and west, must fulfill its humanitarian duties, stand against ISIS terrorism and Erdoğan’s fascism, and take a firm stance.

All international institutions and forces must stand against ISIS attacks and Turkish occupation fascism and demand the expulsion of these occupying forces from the lands of southern Kurdistan. Otherwise, ISIS terrorism will return and spread everywhere again.

The women’s front, which is the fundamental constructive force of life, must be the strongest against these attacks. Therefore, we call on the women of southern Kurdistan and Iraq in particular, and all the women of the world, to stand united and with one voice against all forms of occupation and genocide.

In the end, as the YPJ forces who fought ISIS for many years until we defeated it, we will not allow ISIS mercenaries to return to these lands and kill humanity again. We will also take our stance in due time against these annexation and occupation attacks and reject the re-establishment of ISIS in the region in any form. As the Women’s Protection Units, with our Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian, Syriac, Turkmen, Chaldean, and Circassian members, alongside our international fighters who came from various parts of the world to Rojava and together ended the ISIS occupation, we will protect all women and peoples with the spirit of the July 19th revolution, which is the revolution of women and all humanity. We are also ready to protect our people in southern Kurdistan and Iraq if necessary. Wherever ISIS terrorism exists, we will be on the front lines of resistance and struggle.”