Attacks on the city of Dirbêsiyê increased after the occupation of Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ain) by the troops of Turkey. Women from the region have spoken to ANF correspondent Axin Tolhildan about the current situation.

Cihan Derviş, who lives on the outskirts of Dirbêsiyê, tells the following: "So far not a single attack could drive us away from here, they will not be able to do that in the future. We have been constantly on the streets against Erdoğan’s threats. He threatened again and again with an attack and did it finally also. Civilians are murdered because they do not leave their own country. Today children, women and old people are attacked with chemical weapons. What does Erdoğan want from us? He says he wants to finish off the Kurds once and for all. The Turkish state has been fighting us for 40 years, but cannot defeat us. When they kill a Kurd, thousands of others take his place. We will fight against oppression, even if it takes us a hundred years. Prohibited phosphorus bombs are dropped on the population, why does nobody oppose this and why does nobody ask why children are burned with these weapons?

We trust in our own strength

If Erdoğan dares, he should stop the bombing, then the whole world will see who is strong here. And if only the mothers remain of this revolution, we will resist to the end and not give up our country. We were born on this land, we live here and we will die here. While our children are being attacked with bombs, we do not trust Russia or the U.S. We draw our strength from ourselves. As you can see, there are no military positions here. We are people who live quite normally here.

Barzani has not yet condemned the attacks

I would also like to address myself to Massoud Barzani, who says that we are his Kurdish siblings. We are becoming the target of attacks here. He has not yet condemned the attacks. He has not even expressed doubts about the phosphorus bombs. As long as we Kurds are not one, we will not win anything. It should not be forgotten that if Rojava is attacked today, South Kurdistan will be attacked tomorrow.

We do not need charity

The Barzani family says they have opened their borders to our people. That is not what we expect from Barzani. Rather, he should say, do not leave your country. When the Barzanis said they would make a revolution, hundreds of young people from here rushed and died there. Instead of promising to send us aid, he should prevent our displacement. They should not give us alms, if necessary we would eat the earth of Rojava but not beg, nor will we ever leave our land. Erdoğan and his gangs plunder and devastate our land. Erdoğan has always been a thief and he continues that culture of his here."

All should join the defense forces

Necva Abbasi has three children at the front. She is also part of the resistance. She says: "We condemn the attacks of Erdoğan on Dirbêsiyê and the other cities. If Erdoğan attacks with artillery and guns, we will resist and defend ourselves. We have liberated many cities, for example Manbij. And we will also expel the attackers out of our country today. They cannot and will not defeat us. Everyone should join the HPC [Social Defence Forces] to defend their country and participate in the self-defence of the region."