German revolutionaries Lisa Schelm and Milo Marcks participated in a seminar in Stockholm and spoke about the Jinwar village in Rojava and their international solidarity efforts.

MARCKS: “TURKEY CONSIDERS COEXISTENCE A THREAT”

Milo Marcks spoke to the ANF about current events after the seminar held in the Workers Educational Center and protested the German government’s support for the invasion of Afrin and their cooperation with Erdoğan.

Marcks pointed out that after each meeting between Turkish and German officials, pressure and attacks against Kurds living in Germany increased and said: “After each meeting, new bans are put in place against Kurds like the flag ban. They also want to create a divide between the Kurdish Freedom Movement in Germany and German revolutionaries.”

Marcks also said the Turkish state has two goals with their attacks and invaison against Afrin:

“First, diverse peoples live together in Afrin, and Turkey considers that coexistence to be a threat. They don’t want the Democratic Confederalism project to succeed. It worries them that Afrin is acting as a model for Syria and the Middle East.

Second, democratic structures don’t have a place in the neo-Ottoman order Erdoğan wants to implement in the Middle East.”

“IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO PREVAIL”

Marcks said it is impossible for the Turkish state to prevail in Afrin: “Because this invasion isn’t just against the YPG/YPJ, but against hundreds of thousands of people in the district. The people of Afrin have achieved a democratic consciousness, and they won’t bow down to this. On the other hand, the peoples in other parts of Rojava will also object to this invasion.”

“REVOLUTIONARIES SHOULD SUPPORT ROJAVA”

Marcks said international solidarity is very important under current circumstances and said: “Germany isn’t just silent in the face of the attacks against Afrin, but actively supporting the invasion. Erdoğan holds the card of refugees, and he uses it. European Union countries are also afraid of the democratic system being built in Rojava. Because of that, it is very important that revolutionaries support Rojava.”

“The European peoples should first assess their own states’ stance towards Turkey and how they act regarding the invasion attempt against Afrin. They should question why weapons manufactured in Europe are being used against Kurds in Afrin, and they should take initiatives to stop weapons sales,” said Marcks and called on European peoples to stand against the Turkish state invasion.

PETTERSSON: “WE WILL SUPPORT YPG/YPJ”

Tomas Pettersson from the Rojava Committee stated that the Swedish government’s stance regarding Afrin is cowardly and added:

“Social Democrats openly condemned the US invasion during the Vietnam War, and Palme participated in anti-US protests. Sweden’s relationship with the US was tense. And now, if Sweden and European Union members are afraid if they implement economic and political sanctions, Erdoğan will send refugees to Europe.”

Pettersson said the Rojava Committees and Swedish solidarity movements will continue to display solidarity with the people of Afrin and said: “We will do all we can to support Rojava and the YPG/YPJ forces.”