Member of the Euphrates Region Women's Justice Council, Felek Yusuf spoke to ANF on the anniversary of the murder of three Kurdish women in a Turkish air strike in the village of Helince in Kobanê on June 23, 2020.

Yusuf stated that that women who are emancipated with the philosophy of Kurdish Leader Abdullah Öcalan become a target because they pose a threat to the interests of the hegemonic powers. “On June 23, 2020, the Turkish state murdered three women in the village of Helince in Kobanê. Our friend Zehra, who was a member Kongreya Star, our friend Hebun from the Kongreya Star Assembly, and Yadê Zehra, her mother, were killed as a result of a Turkish air strike. While we were preparing to commemorate our three friends, the HDP Izmir headquarter in Turkey was attacked by the pro-government fascists where party member Deniz Poyraz was murdered. The Turkish state has attacked women many times in different ways, and women have been murdered. Hevrin Xelef and Mother Aqide were murdered by the Turkey-backed mercenaries.”

According to Yusuf, the question that should be asked here is “Why are pioneering women who fight for their freedom and people always targeted by the AKP?”.

Yusuf continued, “Leader Öcalan initially stated that 'the backwardness of peoples began with the deprivation of women. The liberation of peoples is the liberation of women'. This is how he started the struggle and developed it. The women in turn saw their own future, freedom and existence in leader Öcalan’s philosophy. Based on this philosophy, the women began to work and struggled. In Rojava, women fought and defeated mercenaries in Kobanê. The mercenaries received the last blow in Deir ez-Zor and they were defeated.

Along with the philosophy of the leader, the role and will of women have been recognized in the Rojava revolution. The whole world recognized the women's revolution. The democratic nation project in Rojava has been assessed by the whole world. The co-presidency system in Rojava in which women become a co-chair was the first in the world.”

WE DEVELOPED OUR STRUGGLE ON THE BASIS OF LEADER ÖCALAN'S PHILOSOPHY

Yusuf recalled that Öcalan was taken prisoner by an international conspiracy in 1999 and that he gave a great struggle and resistance against the enemy under prison conditions on Imralı. “There are projects that leader Öcalan has developed for the peoples. The democratic nation project is a solution to both Syria and the Middle East countries. That’s why the conspiratorial forces continue their conspiracy. Of course, leader Öcalan and the struggle in four parts of Kurdistan have frustrated this conspiracy.”

Yusuf recalled Öcalan’s saying ‘We will not attack anyone even if we have the power to defeat the entire world, yet we will not give up our right of self-defence’. She noted that they have not attacked or occupied any place so far based on this.

“However, they are still attacking us, they have occupied our lands. What they have done to the Kurds and Kurdish women in Afrin, Serêkaniyê and Girê Sipî defies human morality. They respect neither woman, nor nature, nor children. They attack everything. However, while the Turkish state and the ruling AKP are doing these things, there has been a great silence towards them.

If the enemy is attacking everywhere and especially targeting women, it is because women prove themselves in every field. Women have proven that they would lead the society within the framework of the democratic nation project. Of course, the democratic nation project is an obstacle to the interests of capitalist and sovereign powers. Of course, their existence and hegemony are in jeopardy in a world led by women. That's why they attack women and particularly female leading figures.”

HELINCÊ MASSACRE REPRESENTS A FEAR AGAINST RESISTING AND FREE WOMEN

Yusuf pointed out that the Turkish state's murder of three women in Helince aimed at intimidating the women who struggle, resist and favour emancipation. “However, these attacks only encourage us to resist. As women, our response to these massacres is to strengthen struggles, to develop ourselves, to raise awareness and to implement the democratic nation project more strongly.”