The YPJ General Command issued a written statement on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of the 19 July Rojava Revolution.

The YPJ said: "We reiterate our promise that we will protect our people against all developing and potential attacks, and that we will fulfil the duties and responsibilities brought by this epic resistance and historical heritage."

The statement said: "We celebrate the 9th anniversary of the Rojava Revolution, especially the leader of democratic confederalism, Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan], and all the martyrs of the revolution, the insurgents in prison, the families of the martyrs, the peoples of Rojava and Northern and Eastern Syria, and all the peoples of the world. While commemorating Arin Mirkan, Zin Kobanê, Avesta Xabûr, Anna Campbell, Hevrin Xelef, Yadê Eqide, Zehra Berkel, Karker Afrin and Gelhats with respect, love and gratitude, we renew our promise to carry the revolution further and say: ‘This is the time to embrace the revolution, to form a circle of fire around the leader of democratic confederalism and to break isolation’. In 2011, revolts developed in many Arab countries against the nation-state system. In particular, people in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen stood up. While the peoples are on their way to self-determination, the Kurdish people are a people who have been fighting for freedom since their existence, and the foundations of a democratic system were laid on 19 July 2012 in Kobanê and Rojava, by developing an organization during this rebellion process in the Middle East. The Rojava Revolution is the embodiment of Leader Apo's 20 years of work in Rojava. This revolution, under the leadership of Kurdish women and Kurdish people, aroused the feelings of freedom of all peoples in the region and became the hope of free life for the whole world, as well as being the unity and symbol of the Kurdish, Arab, Syriac, Assyrian, Armenian and Turkmen peoples. The people, on their own will, passed on the democratic ecological and women's libertarian paradigm and democratic confederalism system and developed their own self-government."

The statement added: "The Kurdish women who led the revolution first influenced the women and youth of the region, and then the women and youth of the world. The Rojava revolution is a revolution that took place with the aim of developing a free society. The legitimacy of the Autonomous Administration, which is the hope of the democratic life of the peoples, offers a new life model for the peoples who are in search of a democratic life today. Therefore, to recognize the status of the Autonomous Administration is to recognize the will of the peoples. Since the UN and the EU do not recognize Rojava's status, the Turkish Republic legitimizes the attacks of the mafia and gang state."

The statement added: "As the Women's Defense Units YPJ, we renew our promise that we will widen the 19 July Revolution, which is the hope of life of the peoples against the hegemonic forces, and hold it until the end, and reiterate our promise that we will protect our people against all developing and may develop attacks, and that we will fulfil our duties and responsibilities brought by this epic resistance and historical heritage. While expressing that we, as the YPJ, stand by all oppressed peoples, especially the Kurdish people, we promise that we will respond to the dreams of our martyrs and the hopes and expectations of our people, with the goal of liberating Afrin, Serêkaniyê and Gire Spi, with the determination to fulfil our duties on the 9th anniversary of the revolution."