Kurdish Women's Office for Peace released a statement about the Turkish state’s invasion operation against Afrin Canton of Northern Syria. Full text of the statement is as follows;

“We, International Representation of the Kurdish Women’s Movement and Cenî - Kurdish Women's Office for Peace, strongly condemn the attacks of the Turkish state on Afrin and are deeply shocked by the lack of response of those who are committed to democracy, women's and human rights.

After announcing in the Turkish media that Afrin was razed to the ground, Erdogan is now trying to put that threat into action. Since yesterday the Turkish army tries to occupy Afrin. However, the attacks were repulsed by the YPG and YPJ defense forces. As a result of this failure, Turkish fighter jets have bombed civilian targets in the Canton of Afrin.

The canton of Afrin is part of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, where the various ethnic groups living there organize themselves with their identity in a democratic system. The women are also autonomously organized in the Federation and play the pioneering role in building this coexistence in peace and justice. Afrin has long been a relatively safe area and has received hundreds of thousands, mostly Arab refugees from Aleppo and other areas for which the war impulsive powers do not care. People in the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria have built a system of society so powerful that it radiates throughout the Middle East and the world, giving hope, courage and strength to oppressed societies.

This structure has been so successful that it has been able to defend itself against the barbaric attacks of the IS and to deprive it of its power. The ISIS was used by the AKP as a weapon against the revolution in Rojava and the establishment of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria. With the failure of the IS in Raqqa, the AKP is now trying to merge the remaining Islamic forces of IS and FSA together with soldiers of the Turkish army in a new alliance and continues to instrumentalize them for their own interests. Turkey continues its policy of eradicating any democratic aspirations in the Middle East. It works with patriarchal, inhumane forces that pose a global threat to women, peace and democracy.

The attack on Afrin is above all an attack on the women's revolution. For Rojava is also an example of women not submitting to the patriarchal system of war and domination, not surrendering to their apparent fate but having the strength and courage to build a free society. Rojava is also an example of the emergence of women's liberation out of society, fought for by the women themselves in the Middle East - beyond the state, nationalism and capitalism and despite the wars waged against the people.

The people of Afrin have a right to build a democratic society in peace on their soil, to organize themselves and to determine themselves!

Therefore, we call on the EU, the UN, Russia and the forces of the coalition against ISIS to position themselves clearly against the attacks and to put pressure on the AKP government to immediately stop the attacks that are in violation of international law!

We demand an end to the warmongering in the Middle East! We especially call on the governments to refrain from any arms exports to Turkey!

We call for a political solution for Syria, including the representatives of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria!”