For the past five days, the Turkish state has been hitting Rojava and South Kurdistan (northern Iraq) with heavy artillery and airstrikes. After months of ongoing attacks with chemical weapons and bombardment across Kurdistan, this represents a severe escalation of aggression. Erdogan has also announced plans to launch a ground invasion of Rojava, and the region is mounting its defence.

This takes place against the background of the brutal repression of the uprisings in Iran and Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan) following the murder of Jina Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurdish woman, by the morality policy of the Iranian regime. In North Kurdistan (Bakur – Southeaster Turkey) thousands of community organisers, teachers, elected officials and other activists continue to be imprisoned by the Turkish state for their work in resisting the brutal fascism of the Erdogan regime, and building up alternatives.

In Iran and Rojihilat, as in South Kurdistan, North Kurdistan and Rojava, people are resisting the attacks of state fascism and defending their freedom and their communities. Women in particular are at the forefront of this struggle.

We are calling on all those who believe in the Kurdistan Freedom Movement’s vision for a world built on the principles of ecology, radical democracy and gender liberation to mobilise in defence of the revolution and in solidarity with the peoples of Kurdistan. Millions of people around the world have been inspired and moved to action by the Rojava Revolution – now is the time to defend Kurdistan and the women’s revolution!

Get Involved

There are a small group of us doing solidarity work across England, Scotland and Wales, in coordination with Kurdish community organising. We would really love more people to get involved at this crucial time!

If you are able to give a bit of time to help with the work (things like uploading things onto social media, mobilising for demos, proofreading or translating statements from the movement), if you are connected to groups who can help mobilise, or if you’re able to spread the word online, please get in touch:

defendkurdistanisles@riseup.net

We would also appreciate any donations to support with the mobilisations – we’re still setting up a crowdfunder but if you email us we can share bank details.