URFA - Journalist Xezne Nebî, who followed the Kobanê resistance closely for 134 days, stated that it was PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan's ideology that liberated the city, and said, "Young people from four parts of Kurdistan have flocked to Kobanê within the framework of this belief and will."

 

After the start of the Syrian civil war, Kobanê, which is one of the cities where Kurds declared self-governance, especially in Cizîre and Afrin, and where the Rojava Revolution came to life, was attacked by ISIS which was supported by many countries.The revolution was tried to be suffocated with attack on the Kobanê Canton from three sides. Against the attacks carried out by thousands of ISIS members with advanced technological weapons that "crossed the Turkish border", those who stayed in Kobanê and resisted by covering the border with human chains became one, and the resistance grew day by day. At a time when ISIS' attacks on Kobanê turned into a threat of massacre, hundreds of thousands of people protested in many cities following the words of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who said 'Kobané is falling' in Antep on October 7, 2014.  The resistance soon spread to the provinces of the region and the cities of Turkey.

 

While there were violent clashes in Kobanê, the resistance in Suruç, despite the attacks of the soldiers and police, gave Kobanê a breath of fresh air. Kobanê, where thousands of young people and women died, did not surrender to the darkness despite the economic unsufficiency. As a result of the 134 days of resistance, ISIS, which terrorized the whole world, was brought to its knees and the city was completely cleared of ISIS on January 26, 2015.

 

Journalist Xezne Nebî from Kobanê, who has been following the Kobanê resistance from the beginning to end, which has been the subject of countless articles, reports, dozens of documentaries, stories and books in the past 7 years, spoke to the Mesopotamia agency (MA) on the anniversary of the liberation of the city.

 

Stating that she spent her childhood in Kobanê and grew up playing games in the streets where she followed the 134-day Kobanê resistance, Nebî said that before the "Rojava Revolution", the Baath regime implemented oppression policies against the Kurds. Pointing out that Kobanê is an important center for the Kurdish freedom movement, Nebî noted that during the Baath Regime, people were detained and arrested only because they are Kurds, and died of torture. Nebi told about these deaths as follows: "Kurds have a saying, 'Kûştina bi pambû' (Death comes easy to Kurds). It means you are being killed before you know it. Even when you demanded your human rights, you were being killed. Even speaking Kurdish was forbidden.”

 

ROJAVA REVOLUTION

 

Stating that dark days people experienced through the Baath regime was reversed with the Rojava Revolution, Nebî added that a new life started to be built under the leadership of women and youth with the participation of all peoples. Stating that a new life started to be built on July 19, 2012 under the leadership of women, Nebî said, “The philosophy that practices in Kobanê with the ideology of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan was being cultivated and grown again. The revolution was growing with this belief and philosophy. This process defined as an internal conflict in Syria, was defined as a revolution in Rojava. A real revolution was being built day by day. The people were self-organizing in the fields of economy, military and politics. The 'third path' of the Kurds was being implemented in Kobanê. Öcalan was not only implementing the third path to life, but also introduced it to the whole world. Kobanê has become a model respected by the whole world, with small opportunities led by young people and women.”

 

KOBANE IS A STRATEGIC CITY

 

Explaining that ISIS targeted the people's desire to live together with the Kobanê attack on September 25, 2014, Nebî said that Kobanê also has a strategic

importance geographically. Nebî continued: “There are 410 villages in Kobanê. It is a strategic place because it is the 3rd largest city in Rojava after Afrin and Qamishlo. Kobanê was one of the places where the Kurdish freedom movement has been active for many years. The one who controls Kobanê takes control of the border between Syria and Turkey. Kobanê is the gateway to Raqqa and Halab. Even though Kobanê is far from the Mediterranean, it serves as a gateway for those who want to reach Mediterreanean. In this respect, Kobanê has an important role for the region.” 

 

KOBANE WENT THROUGH BOTH THE RESISTANCE AND THE SUFFERING

 

Nebî said that with ISIS advancing to the center of Kobanê, a similar situation was experienced in Shengal on August 2, 2014, and that few people remained in the city center and many had to migrate. Nebî said, "I witnessed many human tragedies in Kobanê. A human tragedy took place before the eyes of the world. People who will never leave their lands have left their homes. People hit the roads without shoes, hungry and thirsty. We were filming people leaving the city in tears. Words are not enough to describe those moments. It was the first time that people were leaving their lands, and it was the first time that they were showing such a great resistance. Mothers sent their sons and daughters to the fronts themselves. They buried their martyred sons and daughters with their own hands. Our cameras recorded both the pain and the resistance. We also noted the belief of old people who refused to leave their homes despite everything, and that people try to cross the border at the cost of their lives, leaving everything behind. There was a life and death struggle in Kobanê. When we look back at the news made at that time, it is seen that hopes have never been extinguished in Kobanê. In every news article, in every headline, it was written that there is a great resistance in Kobanê. Kobanê resisted until the last street, the last house." 

 

THE RESISTANCE OF THE PEOPLES

 

Stating that the resistance in Kobanê mobilized international forces, Nebi said that ISIS, which terrorized the world, was stopped by the resistance of peoples from all over the world. Emphasizing that the blood of young people from all four parts of Kurdistan mixed up to each other in Kobanê, Nebî said, “Many people were martyred for this cause. The biggest challenge for us was to prepare the reports of the people who lost their lives. We, as the press, were doing our best to lift the spirits of the public. The media also played a small role in the liberation of Kobanê. Women played an important role in the liberation of Kobanê. YPJ played a great role in the fight against ISIS which thinks that they will go to hell if they are killed by the hand of a woman. Women led the Kobanê resistance. "Women, empowered by the 40-year resistance, were resisting a terrorist organization like ISIS for the first time in the world."

 

THE RESISTANCE FIGHTERS HAD THE STRONGEST FAITH AND WILL

 

Underlining that the ideas of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan had an important place in the liberation of Kobanê, Nebî said, “Will and belief were the keys that opened the doors to the liberation of Kobanê. It was Mr. Öcalan's philosophy that fed this belief and will. The young people who came to Kobanê from all four parts of Kurdistan were not there as a coincidence. They chose to be there. With their faith to the ideology of Mr. Öcalan and their strong will, they came flocking to Kobané. Kobanê was a small city, but it had a big heart.”

 

THE ATTACKS AGAINST KOBANE ARE STILL NOT OVER

 

Noting that the attacks have increased as the 7th anniversary of Kobanê's liberation approaches, Nebî continued her words as follows: “Turkey chooses the dates of its attacks against Kobané on purpose. The attack on the prison in Hesekê coincided with the anniversary of the occupation of Afrin. It is also the anniversary of the proclamation of the Autonomous Administration. Air strikes in Kobanê is a daily routine. Because Kobanê is Erdogan's longing. This longing remained a problem for Erdoğan and the gangs affiliated with him. His grudge continue. If they could, they would invade Kobanê today. Kobanê was liberated, but the attacks did not end. These attacks continue with assassinations. The new life they want to dismantle is growing before their eyes. They are having a very hard time accepting this. Turkey carried out many attacks against the region; Military attacks, psychological attacks, assassinations and special wars methods were carried out against Northern and Eastern Syria, but no end. Now, their last move is to mobilize the prisons where ISIS members are held. They couldn't do that either."