Thousands of people attended the funeral of Qamishlo Canton Council co-chair Yusra Darwish and her deputy Leyman Shiwesh (Rîhan Amudê), who were killed as the result of a drone attack carried out by the Turkish state on Tuesday.

Speaking at the ceremony, Qamişlo Martyrs' Families Council co-chair, Hêvî El-Sayed, said: "This crowd here shows that no power can defeat our morale and willpower. First of all, I would like to express my condolences to Leader Öcalan because he is the hero of women. The enemy targets women leaders because they are afraid of their heroism."

'We will stand straight'

Cizre Autonomous Administration Executive Council co-chair Telet Yûnis pointed out that the Turkish state has increased its attacks on the region after the Autonomous Administration announced that it will prosecute ISIS mercenaries and added: "ISIS are 'Erdogan's children', they want to destroy the people's democratic project and leave the people without their will. The forces preparing for the meeting in Astana are targeting the Syrian people. This meeting is the continuation of the conspiracy against our people.”

Referring to the silence of the international powers, Yûnis said: "Enough is enough, you are complicit in the massacres with this silence. The people of the region have paid a heavy price fighting for world peace and security. You must be responsible for the Autonomous Administration project. You must do your part to meet the expectations of the Syrian people."

Yusra Derwêş, Leyman Şiwêş and Firat Tuma'yi Yûnis said, "Rihan was a fighter, a resister, a militant, Yusra was a smiley, a teacher, an administrator, a leading actor. Fırat was also selfless and heroic. In order for our people to follow their own path, they must gather around their own administration and power and defeat genocidal policies. We will stand tall until the hopes of these martyrs are realized.”

'The voice of a free woman'

Kongra Star Coordination member Rûken Ehmed said: "Rihan represents Kurdistan because she has been in Amude, Kobanê, Qamishlo, Afrin, Amed, Mahabad, Sulaymaniyah and Hewler. She came to Manbij in 2016 after the region was liberated from ISIS. "She worked with her people. She fought for 38 years to be the voice of free women."

'We need to liberate occupied places'

Rûken Ehmed stated that after the Autonomous Administration's decision to prosecute ISIS mercenaries, their partner, Erdoğan, stepped in to protect them, and added: "We need to liberate Afrin, Serêkaniyê, Girê Spî, Ezaz and Jarablus. We will not allow another part of our land to be invaded."

'Symbols of the will of the people'

Syriac Unity Party co-chair Senherib Bersûm said that the Turkish state has shown the same mentality from history to today, and added: "We will be successful because we are right, strong-willed and have ties to our martyrs. Our people live in unity in the region. The will of the peoples is a symbol and a light, and the Autonomous Administration will abide by it."

Aydın Beşir Mele Newaf, speaking on behalf of Yusra Darwish's family, said: "Our two martyrs are the symbols of Kurdish women. Martyrdom is an epic because it contains love."