YPJ Headquarters Command released a statement about internationalist fighter Hêlîn Qereçox from Britain who lost her life in Afrin under genocidal attacks from the Turkish state and affiliated jihadist groups.

Full text of the YPJ statement is as follows;

“The revolution of Rojava, which became the revolution of peoples with the leadership of women, has attracted revolutionary women from around the world from the beginning. Day by day, it increased with its philosophy of a free life and the co-existence of all peoples. In this sense, women from all nations went to become a part of this revolution.

The heroic resistance of the peoples, with its blood and labour, defeated the fascist and colonialist forces on the lands of Rojava and turned the area into a haven for the freedom of peoples.

The fighters of the YPJ and YPG became the great hope in the history of freedom and or all free peoples by writing their heroic struggle in golden letters. The jihadist, enslaving groups, the fascist states and regimes could not take root in the lands of Rojava. The revolution of Rojava, which became the hope of humanity, drew revolutionary people from around the world to join this uprising and to courageously face these enemies. Against groups such as Daesh and al Nusra, as well as the fascist, occupier Turkish state, thousands of heroic fighters came to Rojava, overcoming all borders, to struggle for the freedom of peoples and women. Without recognizing borders in their heroism and their longing for freedom, they embraced the revolution.

Fascism is an international enemy and accordingly, an international war against fascism was led on the lands of Rojava. This war also led Hêlîn Qereçox from Britain to overcome all frontiers and travel to Rojava. Comrade Hêlîn could not accept the fascist and occupier Turkish state’s attack on Mount Qereçox on April 25, 2017 and therefore took up the name Hêlîn Qereçox. She had vowed to avenge the martyrs of the revolution and she never took a step back from this. As someone who joined all spheres of life with great sacrifice, comrade Hêlîn became immortal in everybody’s minds as a heroic daughter of the peoples of Rojava and northern Syria. When she was holding position in the Euphrates Wrath Operation alongside Kurdish and Arab women, her revolutionary spirit did not recognize borders and differences of nation, language or race.

At last, she expressed her strong desire and insistence to join the resistance of Afrin to fight against the fascist Turkish state’s war of aggression, which is being supported by fascist international forces.

This is what comrade Hêlîn said about the attacks on Afrin:

“Daesh is only one face of the exploitative and fascist system. Those who occupy Afrin are one with Daesh. Those who attack Afrin share the same mentality as Daesh. The second largest NATO army is behind them. Our comrades are leading a great resistance and show great sacrifices. We are facing a bigger enemy than ever before. It is an honour to me to be fighting alongside heroic warriors.”

Despite great difficulties, she was determined to be on the side of her comrades. In the knowledge that freedom can only be achieved with great battles and sacrifices, she arrived in Afrin with unshakeable determination. She participated on the frontlines, along with her comrades-in-arms. On March 15, when the fascist state engaged in aerial attacks, together with three of her comrades, she joined the immortal martyrs. Until her last breath, Heval Hêlîn followed the path of Ivana Hoffmann with her endless belief in the freedom of peoples.

As the YPJ, we promise to crown comrade Hêlîn’s great ideals of freedom, to heighten the struggle of our comrades at all times, to walk on the paths enlightened by them and to create the free life that they have fought for. We give our promise to gift them with the freedom of peoples and the victory of women, in which they so strongly believed.

The martyrs are immortal! Long live the peoples’ revolution struggle!”