ZEYNEB ÎSA

Qamishlo- Following the attacks by jihadist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to capture Syria’s Aleppo city on November 27, 2024, the Turkish state and Turkish-backed armed groups intensified their attacks on North and East Syria.

On December 1, 2024, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) declared mobilization against the attacks, calling on all people to defend their region. Upon the call, people from all strata of society, including civil society organizations and movements, political parties and communes, began to mobilize themselves against the attacks. In many neighborhoods, people took up arms to defend their homeland while some started supporting the people displaced from Shahba.

All people in North and East Syria have mobilized against the attacks, said Remziye Mohammed, Co-chair of the Movement for a Democratic Society (Kurdish: Tevgera Civaka Demokratîk, TEV-DEM).

‘We always stand with them’

“We have mobilized to support our fighters and the SDF,” she emphasized. “In the Jazira region, people from different ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Syriacs and Arabs, have mobilized against the attacks. In Qamishlo, the TEV-DEM, Kongra Star, political parties and all ethnic and religious identities have mobilized because mobilizing against the attacks is a duty for us. The people from different cities and towns such as Kobanê, Tabqa Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor support the SDF fighters. Our fighters should know that we always stand with them and we are always ready to fight along with them when needed.”

Remziye Mohammed pointed to the resistance by the fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Women’s Defense Units (YPJ) and the People's Defense Units (YPG) against the ongoing attacks on the region and said:

“The fighters defend our society, our country and the gains of the revolution (Revolution in Rojava). They are very valuable and sacred. They protect people from the attacks of the Turkish state and armed groups such as ISIS. The people of North and East Syria always say that they stand with their fighters to support them. Now, the fighters defend the Tishreen Dam and our people support their resistance by holding a civilian vigil on the dam. The people stand against the attacks, saying no to tanks, drones, warplanes and artillery and they are greater than death. All people of North and East Syria have united to protect the gains of the revolution.”

 ‘Our people make great sacrifices’

The call for mobilization was for all the people of North and East Syria, Remziye Mohammed stressed. “When our society unites and everyone takes responsibility to defend their country, we will be able to stop this war. As women’s organizations, youth organizations and people from all strata of society, we must build our unity because our unity can liberate Syria from occupation and build a decentralized and colorful system. Our people make great sacrifices, resisting the attacks. We will always struggle for democracy, peace and freedom.”