Jineoloji Academy Statement on Recent Turkish Attacks

*Originally published by the Andrea Wolf Institute

Today is the 25th of December.

At this moment, there are sounds of war planes in the air.

Today Turkish strike on the Simav Printing House in Qamishlo killed Berivan and five other employees there. Ala El Sebawi also lost her life during the Turkish strike on a public bakery. Berivan and Ala are two young woman from Rojava who struggled to build herselves another life. Before the revolution, women were not allowed to make their own life choices. Until now we know that Riyad Hemo, Hisên Ehmed, Rênas Hisên, Ferhan Xelef and Ferhan Temê also have lost their lives and more were injured.

For each place struck by Turkey, for each individual that has been lost, so have been lost long-lasting memories: memories of how to make revolution and how to build up a new life.

Other places have also been targeted by Turkey: In the center of Amude, it was the people’s cooperative producing olives. We remember a woman from Afrin saying “Here, when I am with the olives, it makes me feel closer to Afrin – and this brings me joy”. It’s important to know that for the people of Afrin, the olive tree is sacred, considered a source of life. Today, their olives are being cut, extracted by the Turkish mercenaries. “Each time they cut an olive tree”, they say, “they kill one of us. Since the day Afrin has been occupied, many of our elders from Afrin are dying during the time of olive harvesting. We know this is not a coincidence.”

Turkey hit another place too: the hall of Karama in Amude. We remember the time when the womens organization, Kongra-Star, held its congress there, celebrating the women’s revolution. Hundreds of women of every age were there. And for the people of Amude, it is a well-known gathering space for public meetings. Among many other places, Turkey targeted the dialysis center in Qamishlo. Recently, it was being discussed how more alternatives can be built for sick people in the region. Because, this was the only one giving public service.

Even since we’ve started writing this call, the news of new attacks are growing exponentially. The infrastructure being targeted from all regions of Rojava right now include hospitals and medical sites and depots, food supply locations, textile factories, petrol stations and wells, agricultural cooperatives, building and construction depots, and grain mills.

Meanwhile, the peoples’ of Rojava have not ceased their efforts to organize themselves according to the principles of the democratic, ecological paradigm based on women’s liberation. They have rebuilt their lives out of the ruins of war. In a marginalized region which was oppressed by the Assad regime for decades, with a very limited infrastructure base, factories were built, as well as workshops and cooperatives to produce the basic necessities. Schools were built up, academies in order for everyone to learn in their own mother tongue. Printing houses were built in order to freely share analysis, novels, and poems. Hospitals were built to treat the sick. Meeting and celebration places were built up. To supply the energy need, oil stations were managed. Each of them is built by relentless efforts of people organised in communes, councils, cooperatives and academies to honour hope and assert a will for life. These are the practical outcomes of the hope that we can build a free life without relying on state, capitalism and patriarchy.

The most recent achievements of the Kurdish freedom movement are threatening to the existence of the Turkish fascist state. On December 13th, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North-East Syria declared its new Social Contract. On December 19 th, Kurdish parties secured the majority of the seats in the local elections in Kirkuk, Iraq. Also, the guerilla made successful actions against the occupying Turkish military in the mountains of southern Kurdistan (Iraq).

This is why the Turkish army is – once again – escalating their attacks on Rojava towards their dream of a neo-ottoman empire.

What becomes obvious is that these attacks are part of the systematic warfare which aims at destroying people’s lives here in Rojava, and ultimately the hope which they are spreading. This new wave of attacks targets critical infrastructure and in combination with the embargo, the survival of all lives are threatened, with water, fuel and electricity shortages. We should read this strategy as part of Erdogan’s long-term occupation plans – the same Erdogan who calls the attacks on the infrastructure, schools, hospitals and churches in Gaza a genocide.

This is a truth: the whole world is now under attack from the fascist, capitalist, male- dominated states. We call for a united struggle against the machinery of war which through occupation, genocide and feminicide tries to divide and conquer. Like the peoples of Rojava/North-East Syria who insist on building free life in struggle, for which so many have given their lives, now here is the call for everybody to resist and organize against fascism, occupation and patriarchy – and to build up a free life in dignity!

Andrea Wolf Institute of Jineolojî Academy

Rojava / Region of Autonomous Administration North and East Syria, 25.12.2023

Contact: jineoloji-international [at] riseup.net