The Democratic Kurdistan Society Congress in Europe (KCDK-E) released a statement on the occasion of 1 November, World Kobanê Day.

The statement on Wednesday said: "Nine years ago, the ISIS army of murderers and rapists was defeated in Kobanê through an epic resistance of 133 days. The ISIS criminal gangs raised by the international powers, which became the plague of the peoples of the world, were destroyed by the women-led resistance in Kobanê on the path shown by Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan]. All the powers, especially the Turkish state, which had pinned their hopes on ISIS, failed because of the resistance of Kobanê."

The statement continued: "With the defeat of ISIS nine years ago, a new hope emerged for the oppressed peoples of the Middle East and the world, and this hope was reflected in Rojava, which was built as a new alternative and free model of life according to the ideas of Leader Apo. Rojava heralded a new era. Kurdish women and youth put up the greatest resistance against ISIS in Kobanê at the risk of their lives. This resistance has gone down in history as resistance to protect human dignity and liberate humanity."  

The KCDK-E remembered those who participated in the struggle and especially those who died in the resistance. Pointing to the role of the 133-day struggle as the beginning of the end of ISIS, the association stated: "This resistance was the beginning of the defeat of ISIS and the course of history changed with the victory of Kobanê. The 1st of November was declared 'World Solidarity Day with Kobanê' upon the call of revolutionary, democratic, ecological women's and peace movements, intellectuals, writers, Nobel Peace Prize winners, scientists and democratic mass organisations. On 1 November, we salute the peoples around the world who have risen up in the internationalist spirit."

The KCDK-E underlined that Rojava and the struggle for Kobanê are based on the foresight and solution models of Abdullah Öcalan and represent a great hope for all oppressed people. Regarding the policy of the Turkish ruling party AKP, the KCDK-E said: "The dreams of the political Islamist AKP and Erdoğan to have ISIS as their neighbour were shattered. For this reason, the dictator Erdoğan has been taking revenge for the defeat of ISIS since 2014, when Kobanê was liberated."

In this context, the Kurdish umbrella organisation addressed the repression in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan, the appointment of trustees, the destruction of Kurdish cities and Turkey’s war beyond its borders. "The resistance that the people of Kurdistan and their friends put up in the face of these attacks did not only thwart these dirty policies of the fascist AKP/MHP government, but also deepened the political, economic, diplomatic and social crises of the Turkish state. For this reason, in the tenth year of the liberation of Kurdistan, Rojava and Kobanê, we can stop Turkey's policies of occupation and massacre and fight for a free, equal and common life.”

The statement continued: “People in over 100 cities initiated a campaign to embrace the resistance of Kobanê and protect the revolution of Rojava, which culminated on 1 November, World Kobanê Day. As KCDK-E, we celebrate the 1st of November again in the spirit of the Kobanê resistance and call on our people, intellectuals, artists, our friends, democratic forces and all people who stand for freedom to increase the resistance in the internationalist spirit and to advance the struggle for the ideas of Rêber Apo and to stand up for Kurdistan, Rojava and Kobanê."