On 15 September 2014, ISIS began its large-scale attack on Kobanê. The people of Kobanê and the fighters of the YPG/YPJ (People’s/Women’s Defence Units) put up tremendous resistance against the highly armed jihadist ISIS mercenaries and set a historic example. Through this resistance and the international outcry for Kobanê, the fighters managed to stop and reverse the attack.

134 DAYS OF BITTER STRUGGLE

In 134 days of fighting for every square metre of the city, the YPG and YPJ beat back ISIS. In solidarity with the people who won the struggle for a free and democratic world at that time, 1 November was proclaimed as International World Kobanê Day. Following this historic call, millions of people around the world took to the streets in solidarity with those resisting the horrors of ISIS in Kobanê.

"THEY WANTED TO DOCUMENT THE END OF KOBANÊ"

How do those who resisted in Kobanê at that time see 1 November, World Kobanê Day, and how do they remember that time? Ismail Mihemed, a member of the Committee of the Veterans of Kobanê, remembers how press representatives from all over the world gathered at the border when the attack began: "They wanted to document this war. But what they wanted to document here was not the resistance. What they wanted to document here was the defeat of those who resisted and stood up for freedom and a democratic life. It was not only the Kurdish people who were meant to be taught a lesson here. It was to teach a lesson to all the peoples of the world through Kobanê."

"KOBANÊ GLOBALISED THE RESISTANCE"

Ismail Mihemed explains that the whole world has seen how the Turkish state openly supported ISIS jihadists across the border and continues: "However, the resistance in Kobanê has shown the whole world that a strong-willed people can resist at any time and under any circumstances. All the peoples of the world have seen what has happened in this war; they have seen the suffering of the people of Kobanê and the pain of thousands of people who have fled. If there is a World Kobanê Day today, it is thanks to the peoples of the world who have witnessed this resistance. They wanted to take part in the Kobanê resistance. Hundreds of them came and dozens of them fell. When the mercenaries and their supporters wanted to suffocate Kobanê, the resistance in Kobanê grew even stronger, and when they wanted to destroy the resistance of Kobanê and break its will, Kobanê became global. Kobanê was won through the unity of those who resisted and showed their will.

But one must not forget that there was only one road left in Kobanê, from which we continued to fight with our determination all the way to al-Baghouz, the last place under ISIS control. The resistance in Kobanê became a source of hope and inspiration for the oppressed and the free peoples of the whole world."

Mihemed underlines that World Kobanê Day is the result of great resistance, great efforts and great will, and concludes, "We dedicate World Kobanê Day to Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan], the idea generator of our philosophy and the carrier of our democratic project, as well as to all peoples who struggle and resist for freedom. We know that the day Rêber Apo is freed will be declared the day of freedom of all the peoples of the Middle East."

13,000 ISIS MERCENARIES WERE DEFEATED IN KOBANÊ

Another veteran of the fighting for Kobanê is Ciwan Azad. He joined the YPG precursor organisation YXG (Yekîneyên Xweparastina Gel, People's Self-Defence Units) back in 2012. The Raqqa-born fighter went to Kobanê during the ISIS attack to defend the city. He recalls: "We had a historic opportunity. It was a great joy for the Kurdish youth to fight for their own country, to liberate our land from the invaders and to establish a free country. This resistance has thwarted the plans of the states that support ISIS. Of course, a people who fight back and stand up for themselves must be supported by the whole world. If a people does not stand up for itself, no one else will support it. The people of Kurdistan have proven this. 13,000 ISIS mercenaries were defeated in Kobanê. For this reason, 72 countries were forced to support the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) afterwards. The will and resistance of the Kurdish people enabled the coalition to support the SDF. Without this resistance, these countries would never have provided support." 

Ciwan Azad also addresses the current Turkish attacks, saying: "When the Turkish state attacks Imralı so brutally today, when it attacks the Medya Defence Zones with all kinds of cruel methods, including chemical weapons, it is a sign that it is stagnating towards the Kurdish freedom struggle."