The Executive Committee of the PYD has released this statement on the massacre in Kobane last week, the worst single atrocity committed by ISIS in Syria since the conflict began.

Statement of the Executive Committee of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) to the Syrian and International Public Opinion: Kobane massacre, a moral test for all humanitarian organisations.

The despicable and cowardly massacre in Kobane against unarmed civilians committed by ISIS, is a blatant crime against humanity and challenges the conscience of the world and all relevant human rights organizations. The world needs to stand on the side of the people’s protection units, YPG, and the women’s protection units, YPG, together with fighters from Burkan al Firat, who have bravely fought the barbaric ISIS gangs and their masters in Ankara.

Statements by the Turkish president display a campaign of hatred against the anti ISIS forces and an effort to try to distort the facts regarding the coalitions’ recent victories in Til Ebyed, Al Mabrouka, Suluk and Ayn Essa. It can no longer be doubted that Turkey has provided both material and political support to ISIS, facilitating their latest and vicious massacre on civilians in Kobane. The latest ISIS attacks on the city of Al Hassake must also be understood in this broader context.

At the same time, during these dark and difficult moments, we need to recognize the major gains made by the YPG/YPJ, together with allies and the air force of the coalition. This alliance has time and again proven to be the most efficient and successful method in the fight against ISIS. The success story of the self-administration rule of Rojava has also proven to be the solution to the political crisis in Syria, demonstrating that all people in Syria, regardless of race or religion, can co-exist peacefully. In order to spare Syria from total destruction at the hands of the authoritarian Baathist rule, and to resist foreign ISIS backing from regional powers, most notably the AKP regime in Turkey; in order to stop the almost 5-year-old bloodshed, the self-administration model in Rojava must be replicated in all parts of Syria. At a time were Syria is on the verge of total disintegration, the Rojava model stands as the last hope of saving Syria as a national and unified political entity.

We, the executive committee of PYD, condemn the heinous crime against humanity, committed by ISIS and their backers, in the strongest terms. We call upon the UN and the international community to take an immediate initiative to form an investigative committee and to shed light on the massacre that took place in Kobane. We call upon the international committee to try this case as an attempt at genocide. The perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable, together with their financial and political backers, and they must be brought to justice before an international court.

Finally, we would like to reaffirm our commitment to humanitarian causes and our national duties towards our brave people. We refuse to be intimidated by blind violence and terrorism.

We promise that the bloodshed in Kobane will not be in vain and that we will continue our struggle within the Democratic Self Administration to ensure brotherhood between all free people’s in Rojava and Syria. May God have mercy on our martyrs and ensure quick recovery for the wounded.

 

Executive Committee of the Democratic Union Party PYD
26th June 2015