NEWS CENTER – Demonstrations organized in many cities under the leadership of the Democratic Institutions Platform condemned the attacks in Aleppo, declaring: “If there are attacks in Aleppo, there can be no peace in Turkey. Just as we defended Kobanê in 2014, today we will defend Rojava.”

 

Armed groups affiliated with the Syrian Transitional Government have launched attacks on the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Şêxmeqsûd (Sheikh Maqsoud) and Eşrefiyê (Ashrafieh), as well as Bênî Zeyd (Bani Zaid), where Syriac communities live, in Aleppo. 

 

These assaults were protested through demonstrations held in many cities, organized by the Democratic Institutions Platform. Statements made during the protests emphasized that peace in Turkey is impossible while attacks continue in Aleppo, reiterating the determination to defend Rojava as Kobanê was defended in 2014.

 

The demonstrations, held across many cities in Turkey and Kurdistan, were attended by representatives and members of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, the Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad – TJA), Democratic Regions Party (DBP), as well as numerous citizens. 

 

Protesters chanted slogans such as “Bijî berxwedana Rojava (Long live the resistance of Rojava)”, “Rojava rûmeta me ye (Rojava is our dignity)”, and “Rojava Rojhilata Kurdistan yek welat e (Rojava and Eastern Kurdistan are one land)”. Speakers accused Turkey of supporting Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and strongly condemned the attacks.

 

Statements were made in the cities of Bedlîs (Bitlis), Mûş, Tatvan, Wan (Van), Şirnex (Şırnak), Adana, Ankara, Colemêrg (Hakkari), Agirî (Ağrı), Erzirom (Erzurum), Îdir (Iğdır), Dêrsim (Tunceli), Çêwlîg (Bingöl), Xarpet (Elazığ), Mêrdîn (Mardin), Êlih (Batman), Sêrt (Siirt), where emphasis was placed on Kurdish unity.

 

The statements recalled that the people of Rojava mounted a historic resistance against ISIS, one that is still discussed worldwide. It was stressed that while attacks continue in Aleppo, genuine peace cannot be established in Turkey. 

 

The speakers also underlined that the timing of these attacks is not coincidental, coming at a moment when the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian government is being discussed, and drew attention to HTS’s recent attacks targeting other minorities in Syria.