Comrades of internationalist fighters who were arrested by the KDP are struggling to understand this approach. According to them, this stance against people who fight ISIS and do good for Kurds and humanity is serving Turkey and ISIS.

Internationalist fighters who partake in the fierce war against ISIS within YPG in Rojava and Northern Syria demand the KDP release 6 of their friends they detained immediately. The internationalists protested KDP’s hostile stance against people who fight alongside Kurds and pointed to Turkey’s animosity against the Rojava Revolution.

Last week the KDP detained internationalist fighters Callun Ross, Ozkan Ozdil, Fernando Grassa, Justin Schnepp, Damien Rodriguez and Anthony Delgatto who crossed over to Southern Kurdistan to go to their countries. Because there wasn’t an official arrest procedure, the whereabouts of the fighters is unknown. KDP gave no explanations for ten days and then claimed the fighters were not detained. But Rojava representatives in Southern Kurdistan are sure that the fighters were detained by the KDP. Some of the internationalist fighters who issued a press statement by the beginning of the week spoke to the ANF.

THEY ONLY HELPED THE KURDS

Baz from Belgium said their friends who hadn’t seen their families for a long time were arrested by the KDP as they were trying to get to their countries and stressed that the fighters hadn’t done anybody harm, and only fought against ISIS. Baz stated that arresting fighters who were helping the Kurds like this has no other meaning than serving the Turkish state and added: “The Turkish state and the KDP refrain from fighting against ISIS, and they are afraid that the Rojava model will spread throughout the Middle East. For that reason, they are hostile towards those who fight ISIS.”

IT IS A SHAME FOR THE “KURDISH” KDP

Michael Hogin (USA) said, “This situation is a shame for the KDP, who are Kurdish themselves,” and stated that KDP served the enemy with this action, while they should have been fighting the same enemy. Hogin demanded his friends be released and said: “Because here we are doing good work for the Kurds and for humanity by fighting against ISIS. This just impedes any progress that can be made towards working together. As internationalist fighters, we didn’t come just for Rojava, we are ready to fight ISIS throughout Kurdistan. So we have a common enemy, the KDP shouldn’t approach the issue like this, they should leave this stance.”

NO INFORMATION

Stefan Borkim from the UK said they can’t get any information on their friends’ situation. Borkim argued that the KDP served ISIS by acting against the interests of the Kurdish people and stressed that they are aware of this: “In the last border crossing, returning from Rojava, the KDP have taken 8 of my comrades and put them to jail. 2 have been released since, and 6 are being held under conditions unknown. With this move, the KDP moves against the Kurdish people and against any hopes of impeding ISIS. The struggle against ISIS is an international struggle that cannot be limited to one nation or one people, but it is relevant to all the peoples across the world. With this move the KDP continue to serve as servants to Turkey. As long as they are servants of Turkey, they can have no hopes of representing the Kurdish people. There is a dichotomy between the Turkish state and the Kurdish people, and by acting like the servants of Turkey the KDP continue to show that they have no hopes of solving the Kurdish question and that the only hope is by the KCK. There are those who are glad for ISIS’ presence. These practices by the KDP are carried out on demand of the Turkish state. The Turkish state asks, KDP delivers.”

POLITICAL DIFFERENCES DON’T EXPLAIN IT

En Nesin from the UK pointed out that their friends who were arrested as they were making their way back to their countries harmed noone except ISIS and said: “Political differences should be left aside and ISIS needs to be fought as a humanitarian duty. ISIS is not an enemy only to Kurdistan and Rojava but an enemy to all the international community. My call to the international public and institutions is to demand our friends be released. Many of them have spent a long time in Rojava and many of them want to see their family and friends.”