YPG commander Lewend Rojava spoke to ANF about the clashes entering their 5th day in Hesekê and expressed that the clashes started due to the monistic fascist ideology of the Baath regime.

YPG commander Lewend Rojava pointed out that the regime continuously developed provocations because they can’t accept the gains of the Rojava revolution, and said: “Despite this fact, YPG and Asayish forces took care not to enter into a conflict with the regime.”

Rojava said the Baath regime created clashes using the sects and conflicts in Syria, and that “The Baath regime has no chance left to win the war from the ground.”

YPG commander Lewend Rojava assessed the 4 day long conflict in Hesekê and repeated that they had promised to protect the people under any circumstances. The commander said the YPG got involved after the regime started bombing the people with artilleries, tanks and aerial attacks.

"HESEKÊ IS A COMMON LIVING AREA FOR THE PEOPLES"

YPG commander Lewend Rojava expressed that there were intense clashes between regime forces and YPG, YPJ, Asayish and Self Defense Units in Hesekê and said: “The regime forces first started this conflict by attacking our security points in the city.” The commander said a dirty plan and diplomatic meetings were clearly behind the Regime’s provocations and attacks and continued:

“There had been some incidents between Rojava Asayish forces and regime forces due to the regime provocations for some time now. At the base of these clashes is the Baath regime’s old approach and tone, and their tendency towards denial and destruction.

Hesekê is a delicate place where Kurds, Arabs and Assyrians have lived together. Our administration continuously keeps the sensibilities of the city in mind. Despite this, the regime kept creating problems and causing conflict. We have always tried to solve these issues before they turned into larger clashes. But in the last week, the regime conducted many deliberate provocations. They put more pressure on the people, they tortured them and wrongfully arrested them. Our Asayish, with the duty to protect the people, then had to intervene.”

"WE WANTED TO ANSWER THE PEOPLE’S CALL, THE REGIME INCREASED THE WAR"

“In the first three days of the war, Rojava Asayish retaliated against attacks by the regime forces and their allied gangs. Because this war has direct effect on the people’s lives, the people, the Clan leaders and rusipis in the society demanded a stop to this war. We wanted to end the war on the people’s demand. But we saw that the regime forces started to increase the war, they launched mortar, tank and artillery attacks, then they started shooting from fighter jets randomly. Meanwhile they kept sending threats. Now for the last two days, the jets have bombed Hesekê randomly in regular intervals. Civilian people were martyred and wounded because of this.

The Syrian regime knows no rules in the sectarian war they have waged in so many places. Now they are trying to spark this war among the Hesekê people and create a chaos. The regime is of no character to create democratic values, but has an old, monist and fascist ideology. Due to this characteristic, they attempt to create conflict among the society to continue their existence. The Regime has issues with the Rojava revolution, and they have gone the way of attacking Hesekê after Manbij was liberated. They aim to distract us and disperse our forces against the gangs this way”

"YPG PROMISED THE PEOPLE TO STAND AGAINST THE ATTACKERS"

YPG commander Lewend Rojava said they had to enter the war because the people’s interest was under threat in the clashes between Asayish and regime forces and continued:

“We promised our people that we will stand against any and all attackers. The people are under bombardment by the regime forces using mortars, tanks and jet fighters. There are civilian casualties because of this. YPG and YPJ forces have joined the war according to the promise we have made. The war continues with all the force in many locations since yesterday. Our forces are advancing in Hesekê as in other locations before. Up to now, 3 posts outside the city previously held by the regime have been taken and liberated by our forces.

The advance of our forces isn’t fully concrete yet because the fighting continues inside the city. We will make more concrete announcements in the coming hours.

4 of our friends have fallen martyr and 18 of them have been wounded in the 4 day war. As far as we were able to determine, 36 people from the regime forces and their allied gangs were killed. We have taken many regime soldiers prisoner, including commanders. The regime is in a serious bind. Thus, they resort to artillery, mortar and aerial attacks in intervals. We want to make this very clear, until the regime gives up on these inhuman attacks and this dirty approach on the Hesekê people; YPG, YPJ, Asayish, Self Defense Forces and all of society will stand against the regime and retaliate in the strictest way. If the regime gives up on these policies and respect our people’s democratic values, this war can end. Nobody should forget that we are the self defense force of our people and we will never accept attacks on the people.”

“SYRIA MUST NOT BE A PART OF THE DIRTY AFFAIRS OF THE TURKISH STATE"

Commander Lewend Rojava stated that the Turkish state’s search in the region, with Iran in particular, are being observed by them as well and said: “We hope the Syrian state doesn’t become a part of this dirty relations.” The commander pointed out that the forces who have power over the Kurdish people have created dirty plans and alliances in every historic turn, and continued:

“We announce that we will never accept these dirty alliances and plans and that we will resist. Last year when ISIS gangs attacked Hesekê, the regime forces didn’t take the jets into the air and strike the gangs. But now they use their jets against us and bomb the civilian population. This shows that the regime is failing. They have no power left to fight on the ground any more. That is why they resort to an immoral and dirty war. The Syrian state uses internationally banned weapons such as chemicals, napalm, phosphorus, cluster bombs and barrel bombs in many places. And here they also resort to these tactics because they are cornered.

Last year around this time, the regime had all but handed the city over to the ISIS gangs. Our YPG and YPJ forces cleared the gangs off the city and liberated it. We also provided security for the city until now. But the regime can’t accept this. Because the regime is against the values of the people and the people uniting. The war in Syria has turned into a deadlock for the last 6 years because of the wrongful policies of the Regime. But we know very well that the regime will never achieve a military victory. Thus, if they try to test themselves against our forces, they will regret it.”