HDP Co-President Figen Yüksekdağ, part of a HDP delegation visiting the Kobanê Canton, said after meeting PYD officials and fighters that morale in Kobanê is high. She said that although ISIS had stepped up its attacks last night, the YPG and YPJ had inflicted serious blows on ISIS, and that the YPG/YPJ now held the initiative.

HDP Co-President Figen Yüksekdağ spoke to the press about their meeting after returning from a visit to Kobanê Canton with an HDP delegation. She said: “I greet all those who are on the border defending Kobanê. We are defending the border, but the real battle is on the other side of the border.”

Yüksekdağ said they had met officials of the Kobanê Canton and YPG and YPJ fighters. She added that she had conveyed solidarity greetings to them and brought greetings from the PYD and the fighters.

She said regarding the situation in Kobanê: “their morale was very high, despite their having had a long tiring night.” Yüksekdağ added that she had been told: ‘perhaps 20 times they’ve said that Kobanê has fallen, but we are still standing.’ She added that there were no clashes in the streets, saying that the PYD officials had told them ISIS had tried to infiltrate the town last night, but had been forced to retreat, suffering 18 casualties. She said: “they told us that ISIS was saying they would perform the Eid prayer in the town, but the PYD performed the prayer with their own people as it is their homeland and no one else can pray there.”

Yüksekdağ said the coalition forces had struck ISIS targets for the first time last night. She added that after last night’s clashes the initiative was with the YPG/YPJ forces. She said the PYD officials had accused the international forces.” Yüksekdağ said they had exchanged Eid greetings there, saying: “We celebrated their resistance festival, and we will celebrate their freedom festival together with them.”