The relationship between the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES, a.k.a. Rojava) and the US has always been strange. On the one hand, they collaborate militarily in the fight against Daesh; on the other, the US has repeatedly stood aside and allowed Turkey and its jihadi proxies to invade, occupy and ethnically cleanse large areas of the territory. Some critics of the revolution claim that SDF operations alongside the US military prove that the Kurds are ‘US mercenaries’ or have ‘sold out’; easy claims to make from the comfort of a Western bedroom, but ignorant of the difficult choices facing the revolution since its earliest days, and the pragmatic compromises needed to survive in such a hostile environment.
But now, as Turkish forces break US-backed ceasefire after US-backed ceasefire and gather for an assault on the defiant city of Kobani, it remains unclear what the global hegemon will do next. Erdoan has promoted himself as a prominent opponent of Israel, at least rhetorically, and this may finally prove a step too far for the US. With star-spangled troops moving into the city and a bill proposing sanctions on Turkey now before the Senate, we may be about to find that the US state prioritises defending Israel and its genocides above even another betrayal of the Kurds, at least now.
But this is all grand state politics. Kobani was not liberated by US bombs in 2015, but by the men and women of the YPG, YPJ and other groups who fought for it on the ground and paid for it in blood. All democratic forces—those forces that fight for a free Syria, for free women and for free life—stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the city once more threatened by Islamist terror. Whether in Kobani or above the Tishreen Dam, the people will resist invasion. And the people will win.
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Crisis in Syria
- Amidst the chaos in Syria, and buoyed by Turkey’s assault on Rojava, Daesh (a.k.a. ISIS, ISIL, IS) has seen something of a resurgence. By the start of the week, there had been a reported eight Daesh attacks across Syria since the fall of the regime, resulting in over 70 deaths. They are primarily present in the deserts of eastern Syria, though cells operating in Raqqa have been reported. The DAANES have warned about the threat posed by Turkey’s invasion to prisons containing many former Daesh members, such as al-Hol; in 2022 Daesh attempted a jailbreak from al-Sina’a prison that resulted in a week of fighting and left hundreds dead.
- On 19 Dec, two Kurdish journalists—Nazim Daştan and Cîhan Bilgin—were killed in a Turkish drone strike. They had travelled to the Tishreen Dam to report on the impacts of the ongoing Turkish attacks there. Daştan was in Bagouz in 2019 when it was liberated from Daesh control; he took the photo which he have reproduced at the top of this section. Bilgin is the third female journalist murdered by the Erdoan regime this year, following the killing of Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn in Başur (a.k.a. northern Iraq) in August; a continuation of the Turkish state’s long-standing use of feminicide as a weapon of war. The killings were condemned by several Turkish bar associations and international journalistic groups; protests commemorations took place in several cities across Europe and Turkey, leading to many arrests in the latter.
- Just at the end of last week, US flags were reportedly raised above former regime buildings in Kobani. This week, the US military claimed that it would remain in the region and continue working alongside the SDF against Daesh.
- Another US-mediated ceasefire collapsed following continued Turkish/SNA attacks in the latter half of the week. Mazloum Abdi, Commander of the SDF, has proposed establishing a US-monitored demilitarised zone (DMZ) in Kobani, in order to ‘address Turkish [security] concerns and ensure lasting stability in the region.’ However, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has continued to threaten military action. Two US senators have called for sanctions against Turkey.
- Turkey and its mercenaries in the so-called ‘Syrian National Army’ (SNA) have failed to take the Tishreen Dam and cross the Euphrates for a second straight week. In the latest report, the SDF reported that they had destroyed several armoured vehicles. However, the dam remains non-functional following Turkish bombardment, leaving a large region without power and over 2 million people facing water shortages. Turkish forces have also reportedly targetted grain silos.
- Turkish military forces and SNA mercenaries are reportedly massing for an attack on Kobani (a.k.a. Kobanê, ). The people of Kobani have signalled their readiness to resist any such attacks. Revolutionary youth groups from across Rojava have also declared that they are mobilising in defence of the city, as have internationalists ranging from Russian anarchists to Armenian communists. At time of publishing, US military vehicles were reportedly heading towards Kobani.
- Yezidi (a.k.a. Êzidi) people across the region have been celebrating their traditional Cejna Êzî festival, though the community under Turkish occupation in Afrin reported that it had been difficult due to forced displacements
- The DAANES published a 10-point proposal for a political dialogue with the new HTS-led government in Damascus. The proposals call for ‘preserving the unity and sovereignty of Syrian territory’, ‘active participation of women in the political process’ and ‘fairly distributing wealth and economic resources among all Syrian regions’.
- The Syrian Women’s Council issued a declaration with their own 13-point proposal, focussing on the rights of women and safety of children.
- On Dec 19, hundreds gathered in Damascus to demand a democratic Syrian state and roles for women in public life. The leader of the Druze Muslim community in southern Syria, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, also called for decentralized governance and unity for all Syrians.
- Also on Dec 19, a group of activists interrupted a session of the EU Parliament to denounce Turkey’s assault on Rojava and to demand the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan. Several Left group MEPs have called for the EU to recognise the DAANES and to apply pressure on Turkey.
- Heyva Sor continues to call for donations to support its work with those displaced from elsewhere in Syria.
Repression in the UK
- The trial date for the six Kurdish activists from London charged with membership of a proscribed organisation has been set for January 5 2026, and is expected to last 12 weeks. All six have now been released on bail.