Citizens in Kurdish-led North and East Syria (Rojava) are mobilising to defend their homeland against Turkish attacks, which have intensified over the past month following the fall of Syria’s Assad regime, with Kurdish women at the forefront of the resistance. In Kobani (Kobanê), a strategic border town of symbolic importance, civilians —including mothers and young people — are preparing to defend against a potential imminent ground invasion by collaborating on tasks ranging from preparing food for fighters to taking up arms.
Leading the self-defence operations in the autonomous region, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have established security points across the region, carrying out regular patrols with the support of local Asayish (internal security forces) fighters and community efforts. Turkish airstrikes on North and East Syria, which escalated at the beginning of December and aim to undermine Kurdish autonomy, have resulted in numerous casualties, including the targeted killing of two journalists.
Related story:
Erdoğan’s expansionist vision: To bring all of Syria under Turkish control
The city of Kobani and its surrounding area have become a hotspot for Turkish attacks. A video report by the ANF news agency highlights the ongoing mobilisation in the city and the surrounding countryside, showing women playing a leading role in the activities.
Villagers in rural Kobani, North and East Syria, use songs to energise the collective preparation of food.
Emine Muslim, a mother from the town of Sheran in the Kobani region, has joined the local defence forces. “We want the Turkish state to know that we are not the Kurds of the past. This is our land and we will defend it even with our weapons,” she said. “We will not allow fascism and its mercenaries to win.”
In the nearby village of Qaramux, villagers came together to prepare food for the fighters. Zeyneb Nehsan, a Kurdish mother, was among those actively involved in the preparations. “What we have to do, we will do without hesitation for our children,” she said, concluding, “[Turkish President] Erdoğan says ‘We will bury the Kurds,’ but that will remain a dream. We, as mothers, will resist until the end.”
