RONÎDA HACÎ

Hasakah- The Turkish state intensified its attacks on North and East Syria on October 23, 2024, killing civilians, including women and children. Although the people in the region reacted to the attacks, the international community remained silent.

 The silence against the attacks is an approval, said Enahîd Qesebiyan, member of the Armenian Women’s Union in North and East Syria, calling for solidarity.

 ‘The attacks are the repetition of the 1915 genocide’

 The Turkish attacks on North and East Syria should be seen as the repetition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, Enahîd Qesebiyan said. “In 1915, the Turkish state, the Ottoman Empire, committed a genocide against Armenians, confiscating their properties. This policy continues today. In 1915, Armenian identity, culture and language were destroyed. Now, people from different nationalities are being killed.”

‘We exist; no one can annihilate us’

Enahîd Qesebiyan recalled that women fought and responded to genocidal attacks during the Rojava Revolution. “As Armenians, we preserved our existence in the system of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. Thanks to this system, Armenian people got to know themselves, their identity and Armenian women founded their union. We will no longer remain silent against attacks, denial and genocide. We are Armenian women and we will preserve our culture and language.”

‘The philosophy of Jin, Jiyan, Azadi has built unity and solidarity’

 The “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” philosophy has built unity and solidarity among women all over the world, Enahîd Qesebiyan stressed. “Since the Rojava Revolution, women have made efforts in line with this philosophy. This philosophy has strengthened the unity of women in North and East Syria. Today, we see how this philosophy is recognized all over the world and how resistance is shaped according to this philosophy. This is a historic step for women's freedom. As Armenian women, we defend and preserve our identity, history, culture, language and society in line with this philosophy to respond to the 1915 Armenian Genocide.”

 ‘Silence against the attacks is an approval’

Enahîd Qesebiyan emphasized that the Turkish attacks actually targeted the system built by the people of North and East Syria. “The Turkish attacks target the civilian infrastructure in the region; they target women’s revolution. The silence of countries is an approval. We have been going through a sensitive process and we stand against these attacks in line with the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ philosophy. We call on all women to strengthen their solidarity against the attacks and take a stand against plans of destruction, annihilation and massacre.”