Protesters gathered in southeast Turkey’s Kurdish-majority town of Nusaybin (Nisêbîn) on Saturday to denounce Turkish military attacks on North and East Syria (Rojava) and to voice solidarity with the autonomous region. Organised by the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party and the Free Women’s Movement (TJA), the demonstration called for an end to war and for the release of imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, which they described as crucial to peace in the region.
“The fire in Rojava burns here too. An end to these conflicts is an honourable demand,” said Heval Bozdağ, a DEM Party MP. He argued that Öcalan’s release was essential for stability. “The path to peace is clear, and it starts with Öcalan’s freedom. The democratic life built in Rojava is the dream of equality and freedom for all peoples, including those in Turkey,” he added.
The protest began in the morning at Barış Parkı (Peace Park), where hundreds gathered before attempting to march to the Qamishli (Qamişlo) border crossing. Police blocked the demonstrators with barricades on Mardin (Mêrdîn) Avenue. However, the crowd maintained their presence throughout the day, waving banners declaring “We will mobilise to protect the Rojava revolution,” and chanting “Rojava is our dignity.”
Local residents joined the protesters in solidarity, and after hours of negotiations, they were permitted to march towards the DEM Party branch office. Party branch co-chair Mehmet Mehdi Tunç criticised the government’s clampdown on democratic rights in the region. “The governor of Mardin, an appointed bureaucrat, violates the democratic rights of Nusaybin’s people using prohibitions,” he said. “We will not abandon Rojava, and we will continue our vigil. Rojava will not stand alone.”
Bozdağ connected Turkey’s actions in Syria to broader regional dynamics, including Israel’s operations in Gaza. “The ruling powers profit from war, while ordinary people bear the suffering,” he said. “Syria’s peoples are capable of building a peaceful, democratic life, but external interventions destroy this possibility. Borders cannot divide peoples who share history and culture.”
The protest concluded with chants of “Long live the Rojava resistance!” and “No to war! Peace now!” Organisers said the vigil at the Qamishli border would continue as a symbol of cross-border solidarity with Rojava and its ideals of democracy and equality.
