14TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF YPJ
On April 4th, a large military parade of the YPJ will take place in Qamishli, celebrating their 14th anniversary and expressing their stance on the demands of the current phase. The continued existence of the YPJ, integrated into the Syrian army but with the assurance of the autonomy of the women’s unit, remains their red line, as also expressed in the YPJ statement of April 3rd. In this context, the YPJ command in Damascus has held talks with the Ministry of Defense. The integration of the YPJ into the army is of historical significance for building a free and equal future in Syria. Since their founding, the YPJ have been built up step by step through a difficult struggle, great sacrifices, and heavy losses, thus achieving their current strength.
WORDLWIDE ACTIONS TO MARK ABDULLAH ÖCALAN’S BIRTHDAY
In Europe, Canada, the Middle East, and in the mountains, numerous celebrations and events took place on April 4th, the 77th birthday of Abdullah Öcalan. These events served both as cultural celebrations and as clear political demands for Öcalan’s release and a peaceful and democratic integration process. Öcalan’s birth was simultaneously celebrated as a historical turning point and as the birthday of all women. The events were met with police crackdowns, particularly in Turkey, culminating in the arrest in Istanbul of Sebahat Tuncel, an activist with the Kurdish women’s movement TJA and a former member of parliament.
REPEATED EXECUTIONS IN IRAN
Following the protests against the Iranian regime earlier this year, numerous trials have begun, particularly against Kurds, women, and young people, increasingly resulting in executions. In recent days, four young men — Ali Fahim, Mohammad Amin Biglari, Shahin Vahedparast Kaloor, and Amirhossein Hatami — were executed under the same legal system. Human rights organizations believe that the Islamic Republic uses these inhumane methods of extermination to maintain its survival. According to the human rights network HRANA, more than 2,000 people were executed last year—the highest number in decades.
AGAINST EXPROPRIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION
Esra Işık was arrested in the Turkish province of Muğla for her activism against the exploitation of agricultural land and, in particular, for the protection of the Akbelen Forest near Milas. The expansion of open-pit mining is causing massive ecological damage and necessitates the relocation of neighboring villages. Protests in the Akbelen Forest and resistance against coal mining have been ongoing since 2021, but often result in the activists facing severe criminalization. The court has now rejected her appeal against her pre-trial detention.
SECOND CONVOY RETURNING TO AFRIN
Following the agreement between the SDF and the Syrian transitional regime, the second convoy departed from Qamishlo to Afrin on the morning of April 4th. This convoy includes 200 families, primarily from the Raco district and the city center of Afrin.