The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Central Executive Council has issued a statement calling on the international community to show solidarity with Kobanê.

The statement began:“Kobanê lies 160 km north of Aleppo and is the capital of Kobanê Canton, the smallest of the three cantons established in Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan or Western Kurdistan). Even though both Kobanê Canton and the city have been under siege by ISIS for almost two years, it has been a safe haven for the peoples of Syria since the beginning of the conflict. With the arrival of people fleeing the conflict, the city’s population grew about 5 times the 62.634, the city’s population according to the 2010 census”.

The statement stressed that ISIS had launched unexpected attacks in Iraq, capturing Mosul and seizing the heavy weapons of the fleeing Iraqi Army. “ISIS then attacked the Yezidis’ homeland Sinjar, and after committing a massacre there, moved tanks, armoured vehicles, cannons and rockets to Syria and deployed them around Kobanê, the smallest and the most isolated of the three Rojava cantons.”

The HDP emphasised that although the ISIS onslaught that began on 15th September when ISIS started to attack Kobanê with these heavy weapons has been halted by the People’s Defence Forces (YPG), ISIS is close enough to shell the city centre with cannons and rockets. “ISIS has been stopped less than 5 km from the city, but continues to attack and to take lives.”

Stressing the role played by the government of Turkey, the statement said,“Turkey, which has control of the north of Kobanê – the only side that is not under siege by ISIS -, prevents any aid from reaching the city.”

HDP pointed out that Turkey, by providing logistical, physical and moral support to El Nusra and ISIS gangs from the beginning of the conflict in Syria, does not grant Kurds and the forces of democratic opposition permission to show their support along the border, let alone allow the resistance forces in Kobanê to receive military aid.

The statement noted that since September 15, almost every day, the security forces are using real bullets, gas and water cannons in their attacks on the MPs, mayors, students, women, youth, journalists and activists that come from all parts of Turkey to Pirsûs (Suruç) in order to support the people of Kobanê through peaceful protests like forming human chains.

The HDP statement concluded by issuing an international appeal for solidarity, calling on the peoples of Europe, all European democratic forces to act immediately, to show their solidarity with the people of Kobanê in order to prevent a massacre similar to that of Yezidis in Sinjar, Armenians in Kesab, Alevis in Lazkiye and Assyrians in Nineveh.

"This solidarity, on the one hand, can happen in the form of political support in your institutions and parliaments; on the other hand it can also come in the form of humanitarian aid and materials that will enable the survival of tens of thousands of children and women who fled the war and conflict only to be forced to live in camps, especially given the approaching winter", HDP said and thanked all in advance "with the firm belief that you will not remain silent and show the much needed support for this issue".