Amed People’s Initiative issued a written statement on the arrest of Amed Co-Mayors and the resistance and attacks that followed the arrests. The Initiative said “The racist and fascist Turkish state has launched a coward all-out attack to try and reach the goals of its century long massacres. The fascist AKP regime has panicked after the military and political success of our Freedom Movement across Kurdistan from Xaneqin to Efrîn and launched an immoral all-out attack in South, West and North Kurdistan.”

In its statement, Amed People’s Initiative stated that Turkey attacks all honorable Kurds in order to seize the institutions of Kurdish people and prevent Kurdish children from receiving education in their mother tongue. The Initiative recalled that the AKP regime has recently targeted Amed; the symbol and center of Kurdish people’s political will, and took Amed Co-Mayors and other politicians as hostage. Amed People’s Initiative noted that the AKP will be targeting the other towns and cities of Kurdistan after Amed, but said that Amed is a complex town that is the heart of Kurds’ political will and its people will not be silent in the face of this attack. The Initiative called upon the heroic people of Amed to join the non-stop resistance and stand up for their language, culture, identity, honor and will until Amed Co-Mayors and other detainees are released and returned to their duties.

In its statement, Amed People’s Initiative said “We call upon all municipal employees and our people to join the resistance in front of Amed Municipality everyday between 11:00 and 18:00 in order to end the occupation of and the siege on the building.

We also call upon appointed municipal employees to stop working because working with colonialist appointed officials is a treacherous collaboration. We will resist in every street and neighborhood, and call upon the brave Kurdish youth to lead this resistance.

We also call upon those patriotic citizens that have vehicles to honk and express their objection to colonialism every day and night.

Today is the day to protect our values and institutions with the resistance spirit of Kobanê. Let us enhance the resistance and upset the pillaging and occupation policies of the colonialist AKP regime.”