Women’s Defense Units (YPJ) issued a written statement on the 7th anniversary of the Rojava Revolution and said, “Our people have embraced the revolution with great sacrifice and a great price paid. Our people have stood with the fighters at every turn, and worked hard to grow and protect the revolution.”

YPJ said in the statement: “We celebrate the 7th anniversary of the July 19 Revolution for Leader Apo, the defenders of the sacred lands, the immortalized martyrs, the peoples of Rojava and Eastern and Western Syria, and all the peoples of the world. We repeat our promise to defend the revolution as we remember with respect all the martyrs of the revolution in the person of Jinda, Ruksen, Xebat, Arin, Revana, Gelhat, Avesta and Karker.

In 2010, a resistance against the nation state developed in many Arab cities. In countries like Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, the people objected to the hegemonic system and flocked to the streets. These resistances spread to the Syrian lands in 2011.

The Kurdish people in Northern Syria spread the July 19 Revolution throughout the world with women’s colors. The peoples’ will, courage and pro-freedom truth has been uncovered and a women’s spirit that yearns for freedom has been created. The Rojava Revolution developed under the lead of women. With every passing year, the revolution offered the trust to march to success and hope for peoples and all women who fight for freedom.

In these 7 years, the Syrian peoples and the Kurdish people have achieved a great many successes, but they have also paid the heaviest of prices. Throughout the years we sacrificed many of our esteemed comrades. Our people have embraced the revolution with great sacrifice and a great price paid. Our people have stood with the fighters at every turn, and worked hard to grow and defend the revolution. Our revolution is a revolution of the people.

Of course since the beginning of the revolution, the Turkish state and other regressive forces in the region, collaborators and groups made up of various bodies have wanted to destroy the peoples’ democratic power and unity through various attacks. ISIS was one of the biggest pillagers. Thousands of people were massacred with inhuman methods at the hands of ISIS. Historic sites and society’s values were destroyed, pillaged and torn down by ISIS. This was an expression of how the hegemonic powers hated the will of the people. The defeat of ISIS was the greatest success of the freedom fighters. The peoples of Syria, Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs and Turkmens, took on great labors to build an equal life and create the unity of peoples to grow the revolution. This unity of people played the most significant role for the democratization of Syria, and can continue to do so.

We as the YPJ have promised our people that we will grow and defend the July 19 revolution. We state once again that we will play our role of defense against any attacks to develop in the future. It has been an honor for us to fulfill such historic duties. We are aware that there have been threats against our revolution, and there still are today. We are ready to spend whatever effort necessary to fulfill our duties and historic responsibility stronger in the 8th year of the revolution. We will grow our struggle until we guarantee our democratic nation model to uphold the labor of our martyred comrades. We promise again to defend the revolution and to advance on the path of martyrs.

On this basis, we celebrate the July 19 Revolution for the families of our martyrs, for our people in all four parts and for the peoples to the east and west of Syria, to the peoples of the Middle East and for all the women of the world.”

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