The Democratic Union Party (PYD) General Assembly issued a written statement on the 13th year anniversary of Qamishlo Uprising today.

In its statement, the PYD said "Today we commemorate the 13th year anniversary of Qamishlo Uprising of March 12, 2004 which is the uprising of a conscience and will that refuses the oppressive system. The uprising sped from Dêrik to Qamishlo, Kobanê, Efrîn, Aleppo and Damascus. As the Kurdish people taking part in the revolution that aims to create a democratic system in Rojava, we commemorate the people that fell as martyrs during this uprising."

The PYD statement continued; "The March 12 Uprising gave birth to many values. 13 years have passed since the uprising and our people gained a will and stood up against the oppressive regime during this period. Still, certain Kurdish circles are developing plans against the will of the Kurdish people and the peoples of Northern Syria and deepening the crisis.

The March 12 Uprising of 2004 paved the way on which we will attain our basic rights with the values created by our martyrs and the ideas of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, which is based on the philosophy of free life and stands as the third path theoretically and practically.

As the PYD, we commemorate the March 12 martyrs and we reiterate our promise to freedom martyrs that we will realize the freedom, democracy and the building of Northern Syria Democratic Federal System for which they fought and fell, and that we will stand against all brutal systems and primitive nationalist systems in the region such as the fascist Turkey.

We bow respectfully before the March 12 martyrs and all freedom martyrs. We also commemorate the Qamishlo Municipality martyrs on the 3rd year of their martyrdom and state that we will not kneel down before cruelty and the dark mentality. Our people took historic steps and will stand their ground no matter how big the enemy's conspiracies are."