To all friends of the Kurdish liberation struggle, to all anti-fascists, socialists, feminists, anarchists, communists, ecologists and to all for a better life and world fighting people. To the media and the public opinion:
Since the 14 th April Turkey has once more intensified its cross-border attacks against the liberated
territories of the Medya Defence Zones in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Irak), marking the start of
a new offensive. On the 17 th April the Erdoğan-AKP regime announced the new offensive named
“Claw Lock”. Turkish ground troops and special forces since then are again trying with all force to
set foot into the regions of Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna. With massive air-support, meaning air-
surveillance, bombings, fighter jets, armed drones, attack-helicopters and heavy artillery shelling
the turkish troops try to fall into the region either being dropped to the ground by helicopters or
trying to advance on the ground from border military stations and from the regions under control of
the KDP, which is openly collaborating with the turkish invaders and occupiers. According to news
from the ground and declerations made by the Peoples Defence Forces (HPG) the last days heavy
clashes have taken place especially in the regions of Zap and Avaşîn and the fightings are
continuing. At the same time attacks on the frontlines of Til Temir, Ayn Îsa and Zirgan in Rojava
have increased, ISIS has declared a new offensive to start and the Iraqi army has attacked several
YBŞ checkpoints in the region of Şengal.
This new operation by the turkish fascist state and their collaborateurs against the kurdish freedom
movement has to be understood in a broader concept and as the continuation of the war of the last
years in the whole region. It is not disconnected from the struggle in Rojava, but deeply tied
together with it. This war against the struggle for freedom is also directly NATO-US approved and
supported and it is evident that they want to take results as long as the world is not listening and
only looking at Ukraine. Last year the turkish army excessively used chemical weapons against the
resisting guerrilla, we have to assume that they will not stop but intensify the use of chemical
weapons in the Medya Defense Zones against the guerrilla.
Since the beginning of the year the preparations of Turkey to try to “finally” eliminate the resistance
in 2022 have been ongoing: Together with ISIS they started in January a major attempt to free
thousands of ISIS-fighters from prison in Hesekê and like that to let Rojava (North-Eastern Syria)
fall into chaos, which resulted in heavy fightings in Southern Hesekê for more than a week, they
intensified their attacks with armed drones on Şengal and Rojava, they consolidated their
cooperation with KDP and partially the Iraqi-government to build a border wall between Şengal and
Rojava, to encircle and isolate the struggling regions and cut off their connections with each other
and to directly join into the planned operations. Their aim is obvious: They want to destroy and
liquidate anybody who insists in having a free will and to do so they aim at the heart of the
resistance, the guerrilla.
To defend Şengal and the Êzidî people, to defend Rojava and the revolution, to defend the hope for
a better future and to smash fascism we have to take a stand now! We call upon you to take to the
streets and to confront turkish fascism, their institutions and supporters in your region. Organize
your self and get creative in showing your solidarity with the anti-fascist resistance in Kurdistan!
Let’s #SmashTurkishFascism and build the international #AntiFascistFront!
Come together and #UniteInResistance!
#RiseUp4Rojava – Coordination,
20.04.2022
