The attacks and threats of Turkey and the SNA guided by Turkey against the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria continue. While the attacks continue, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan asked the People's Defence Forces (YPG) to ‘liquidate’ by laying down arms. YPG Spokesperson Siyamend Elî stated that the Syrian people suffered many injustices during the Assad regime. Siyamend Elî reminded that the YPG and YPJ were founded by the people who were left defenceless against ISIS and Assad attacks, and pointed out that Turkey is trying to take advantage of the chaos. 

 

Siyamend Elî made evaluations to Mezopotamya Agency (MA) on the latest developments in the region. 

 

‘DEFENCELESS PEOPLE ESTABLISHED YPG-YPJ’

 

Reminding that the people were left defenceless before the Rojava Revolution, Siyamend Elî said that the people were especially vulnerable to the attacks of jihadist armed groups. Siyamend Elî said that the people formed unions to defend themselves during the revolution and added: "Our people, who were left defenceless during the revolution after the Syrian crisis, were left defenceless against the gangs during the war. In this process, many gang groups came here. Like al-Nusra and ISIS. Kurds also wanted to protect themselves from these attacks. Regional self-defence developed and armed. This led the Kurds to the establishment of the YPG. The YPG was formed with the hearts and hands of the people. The YPG established on the basis of self-defence and human rights. It entered into defence on this basis. Day by day, the YPG became the basis of ‘self-defence’ for all Kurds. The YPG and the Women's Defence Units (YPJ) have walked with this role and mission since their establishment. As the process progressed, the importance of regional self-defence emerged. Later, Arab, Assyrian, Armenian and Turkmen peoples also took their places in these ranks on the same basis." 

 

Reminding that the attacks gradually increased with the emergence of ISIS, Siyamend Elî said that even centuries-old states were left without a solution against ISIS. Siyamend Elî noted that the YPG and YPJ acted with the mission of defending the people in Syria during this process. 

 

‘TURKEY AND SNA TARGETED THE AUTONOMOUS ADMINISTRATION’

 

Siyamend Elî stated that Turkey and its affiliated SNA also targeted the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria during the period when Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) started to advance towards Damascus, and drew attention to the fact that the SNA, which includes many groups, targeted the self governing regions. Stating that the people's assemblies of the cities responded to all these attacks, Siyamend Elî said: "Attacks took place in Manbij in the same way. The assembly in Manbij carried out a historical resistance there. Then a decision was taken to completely clear Manbij of soldiers and armed groups. With this decision, the people there were asked to govern and defend themselves. However, the other side attacked against this."

 

Siyamend Elî reminded the statements of Hakan Fidan, the Turkish Foreign Minister, who wanted the YPG to lay down its arms and "liquidate" while the attacks continued, and stated that the YPG was founded by the people. "We see that all of the groups that Turkey has formed by its own hand and with which it walks on the road are groups that are categorised as 'terrorist organizations' in the world. These are the ones they want to see on their side. They are travelling with those who steal, those who want to destroy the truth of humanity. The reason why they want us to lay down arms is because they want our people to remain without honour, destiny and life. They want our people to be at the mercy of terrorists. Not only us, but also the Arab and Kurdish people living here do not want disarmament," she said. 

 

Referring to the claims that the new Syrian government will be democratic and inclusive, Siyamend Elî said that the war must first be stopped. Emphasizing that Turkey is trying to deepen the war, Siyamend Elî said that Turkey is trying to destroy Kurdish gains by taking advantage of the chaos.

 

'TURKEY MUST FIRST SOLVE ITS OWN KURDISH ISSUE'

 

Siyamend Elî said: "If the new government in Damascus will respond to the demands of all the peoples of Syria, we will have no desire to raise arms. The weapon in our hands is to protect our people. If everyone takes part in the new government with their own culture, language and belief, we will be convinced that the solution does not lie in weapons and we will act accordingly. We do not accept any decision made by others on our behalf. We have opened the doors of peace to everyone until the end. Until today, we have acted in a moderate manner towards both Syria and our neighbours. We stand behind all the messages previously expressed by our commanders and the autonomous administration. We have never been a threat to any power. On the contrary, we have a great experience for the establishment of a democratic Syria. We are the only power established by the people since 2011. Therefore, asking for the liquidation of the YPG is asking for the liquidation of the people. Hakan Fidan needs to look back to Turkey first. He needs to solve the Kurdish İSSUE in Bakûr Kurdistan. He should not spread the problems in his country to Syria."

 

'WE ACT ACCORDING TO OUR PEOPLE'

 

Stating that the issue of YPG and YPJ laying down arms is a matter of the people and said: "We will act according to what our Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian, Armenian and Turkmen people say. If Turkey has a dream to break us up, I want to say once again that it cannot realise it. No matter how difficult a process we go through, we are still standing on our feet. We have this experience and strategy. On the other hand, the Syrian people also believe in a free future. If Turkey has a problem, let it solve it within itself first. We have opened the door of peace to them and we have approached them very seriously. We can return to the alliance we established before for the Suleyman Shah tomb. However, they do not approach us in this way. They are trying to take their gangs across the Euphrates River. This is suicide. We will never accept this." 

 

Siyamend Elî finally made the following call: "Let our people be vigilant against the policies of slaughter and massacre. It is imperative that we unite in this historical process. We need to build a free Syria together. The Syrian people are very tired of war and massacres."

 

MA / Ceylan Şahinli