10 Years Liberation of Kobanê

While the world is remembering the great fight of YPG and YPJ, ISIS raises again due to the help of Turkey.

Probably all of you know Kobanê as the city where finally the momentum of ISIS was broken in 2015. Now, with the threat of a Turkish attack bigger than ever, the eyes of the people of the world are on Kobanê again.

Fighting already began in 2012, between the newly founded YPG and groups like Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front (now HTS) and other Islamist factions of the splintered “Free Syrian Army”.

Kobanê: The grave of ISIS

On 15th September 2014 ISIS launched a major offensive to seize Kobanê, sweeping through the country and taking every village on their way. By 2nd October ISIS was already within 100m of the city to the south and south-east.

Facing the imminant attack YPJ Commander Meryem Kobanê made a defiant declaration: “This will not be an ordinary battle but a confrontation
between the male-dominant sovereign savagery and the spiritual power and will of democratic modernity. We are going to win this war.”

 

By then ISIS was already armed with heavy weapons and tanks, some of them captured from the Assad regime, while defenders of the city were mostly armed with aging Kalashnikovs and only a handful of machine guns.

ISIS began their advance on the strategic hilltop of Mishtenur, which overlooks the city of Kobanê from the south. After some days of fierce clashes the hill was captured and the black flag flew atop the hill.

The battle for Mishtenur hill saw the courageous sacrifice of 22 year old YPJ commander Şehîd Arîn Mirkan. When her unit was encircled by ISIS, Arîn took the remaining explosives, threw a hand grenade as a distraction and then ran into the ISIS fighters, detonating herself, killing at least 10 and destroying a tank. Her unit could retreat to the city.

Women Struggle in KobaneSehid Rojava Kobane, iranian Internationalist fought against ISIS

Meanwhile hundreds of PKK fighters from Bakur/North Kurdistan came to reinforce the defence of Kobanê while many hundreds of Kurds came from all over the Middle East to join YPG and YPJ.

On 27th September the US-led coalition against ISIS began launching air strikes against ISIS targets around Kobanê.

Expecting to simply roll over Kobanê in a matter of days, ISIS was shocked and demoralized by the fierce resistance. After months of intense and bloody clashes ISIS was pushed out of the city by 26th January 2015.

It was in Kobanê that the liberation forces proved to the world that ISIS could be beaten, that they were not unstoppable. But that came at a price: In total 1.235 fighters martyred defending Kobanê.

Symbol of the fight against fascism

The Turkish state played a significant role in supporting ISIS during the battle for Kobanê. Turkish tanks just sat at the border, watching the fighting play out. ISIS fighters, logistics, weapons flowed freely accross the border in both directions, wounded fighters were treated in Turkish hospitals and then returned fighting.

The connection between Turkey and ISIS is deep.Fascist ISIS fighter

While the border was open for ISIS, several Kurdish refugees were killed by Turkish troops as they tried to flee over the border and people who wanted to cross the border to defend Kobanê were stopped by soldiers.

The battle for Kobanê was also where the first internationalists gave their life in the struggle against ISIS. Many more were inspired to come to Rojava and join the ranks of YPG and YPJ. Again we want to take some time between all the news these days to commemorate our internationalist martyrs.

With the same defiant spirit, the people of Rojava now prepare the defence of the city, that symbolizes more then anything else the unbreakable determination to resist. Kobanê broke ISIS and Kobanê will break Turkish fascism.