SYRIA YPJ YPG KURDISH SDF BACKGROUNDERS IDLIB 

SYRIAN KURDS AS AU.S. ALLY
 Cooperation & Complication
CONTENTS 
Acronyms |
 IV 
Preface | Patrick Clawson 
V Making Rojava More like the KRG | David Pollock
 1 U.S. Ties with Turkey and the Syrian Kurds | Soner Cagaptay 12 
The Syrian Opposition and the PYD | Andrew J. Tabler 20
 Arabs in the PYD-Controlled Area | Fabrice Balanche 29 
Iraqi Kurds and Syrian Kurds | Bilal Wahab 39 
Russia, Syrian Kurds, and the Assad Regime | Anna Borshchevskaya 46 
U.S. Policy and the PYD | Patrick Clawson 52
  

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - Institute for the Study of War

Nov 22, 2016 - and PYD are affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a ... approximately 25,000 fighters across northern Syria.2 ... The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is the U.S.'s most effective partner fighting .... 2017, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/. PolicyFocus150_Clawson.pdf.

[PDF]

The Kurdish issue: the Kurds between the historical dream and the ...

https://projekter.aau.dk/projekter/files/261766604/Thesis_2017.pdf

Jun 24, 2017 - ethnic minority, formulating around 2 million people or 8% of Syrian .... considers, ―The Syrian Kurds, the much-praised ally of the US and the ...... ―The reason for Washington'smove to support the Kurdish ..... http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ ... 2.pdf (Accessed 23/06/17).

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The Road to ar-Raqqah: Background on the Syrian Democratic ... - CSS

www.css.ethz.ch/en/services/digital-library/articles/article.html/bad943db.../pdf

Nov 30, 2016 - www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ PolicyFocus150_Clawson.pdf. 3 Roy Gutman, “New allies in northern Syria don't seem ...

Competing Interests in Shingal District: Examining the PKK-linked ...

www.academia.edu/.../Competing_Interests_in_Shingal_District_Examining_the_PKK-li...

Middle East Research Institute 1186 Dream City Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq T: +964 .... 2 The PKK-linked Armed Structures in Syria and Shingal District .

Northern Syrian militants action effects on the political order of the ...

https://interpolitics.guilan.ac.ir/article_2863_en.html

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Turkey's actions shaped a new kind of relationship between militants and ... Article 2, Volume 7, Issue 1 - Serial Number 23, Spring 2018, Page 49-86 XML ... Syrian Kurds as a U.S. Ally: Cooperation and Complications, Policy Focus 150, the ... .washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/PolicyFocus150_Clawson.pdf.

Syria: Current Developments Favour Assad - AIIA - Australian Institute ...

https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au › Australian Outlook

Feb 20, 2019 - The Kurdish YPG are one of the many factions that will have to be accommodated in ... general locations: the Kurdish-dominated north and northeast, Idlib province ... The presence of US forces ensured the SDF's protection.

Idlib Province and the Future of Instability in Syria | Center for Strategic ...

https://www.csis.org/analysis/idlib-province-and-future-instability-syria

Sep 21, 2018 - While some claim that an end to the conflict in Idlib marks the final stage of the ..... Soldiers from Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Women's .... (SDF) led by the People's Protection Units (YPG), the Kurdish armed ...

Syria, March 2019 Monthly Forecast : Security Council Report

https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/monthly-forecast/2019-03/syria-5.php

Feb 28, 2019 - Divergences over the fate of Idlib became clear at a 14 February ... Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the Kurdish YPG militia, and the ...

The Battle For Syria's Oil Region | OilPrice.com

https://oilprice.com › Geopolitics › Middle East

Dec 24, 2018 - Only Idlib and the territories east of the Euphrates river remain out of the ... The Kurdish YPG is the backbone of the SDF and is linked to the 

An Analysis of Jaish al-Thuwar (The Army of Revolutionaries) – A ...

https://hasanmustafas.wordpress.com/2015/11/16/an-analysis-of-jaish-al-thuwar-the-army-of-revolutionaries-a-component-of-the-syrian-democratic-forces/ 

Nov 16, 2015 - The inclusion of YPG-aligned brigades such as the Kurdish Front and the .... When the SDF announced its formation in Idlib and Aleppo ...

Turkey drone attack kills 4 PKK members in Iraqi Kurdistan: Kurdish officials

• Published: July 29, 2023
• 
  

HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan region,— A drone strike carried out by Turkey on Friday resulted in the death of four suspected Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) members and injured one in Iraq’s northern province of Sulaimani, the Iraqi Kurdistan’s counterterrorism service said in a statment.

Turkey has been involved in a long-standing campaign against PKK militants and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in both Iraqi Kurdistan (Bakur) and Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), labeling them as “terrorist” groups.

The incident on Friday occurred at approximately 8:00 pm when a Turkish army drone targeted the vehicle of the PKK fighters near the village of Rangina in Sharbazher district, north of Sulaimani. The attack led to the death of four militants, and one was wounded. The vehicle was hit twice within a span of 10 minutes, as reported by Iraqi Kurdistan’s anti-terrorism services.

In May, there were two separate raids in Iraqi Kurdistan’s Sinjar district that killed six Yazidi fighters affiliated with the PKK. Local security officials attributed these strikes to Ankara.

Earlier, in late February and early March, there were more strikes in the region, which the anti-terrorism service attributed to Turkey. These attacks killed fighters from the Sinjar Resistance Units, a movement that formed to combat the Islamic State group after their atrocities against thousands of Yazidi men and women.

Turkey’s military activities in the region have led to accusations of tolerance by both the Iraqi federal authorities and the Kurdistan regional government, who seek to maintain close economic ties with Turkey.

There is an upcoming visit by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s office mentioned on Tuesday without providing a specific date. The meeting is expected to focus on economic matters and address the sensitive issue of water.

Baghdad has raised concerns about the impact of upstream dams constructed by Turkey on major rivers shared with Iraq, exacerbating water shortages in the drought-hit country in recent years.

In 1984, the PKK took up arms against the Turkish state, aiming to secure greater autonomy in Turkish Kurdistan for the Kurdish minority, which accounts for over 22.5 million of the country’s 85-million population. However, the Turkish state has consistently denied their constitutional existence and their demand for autonomy. The conflict has resulted in the loss of over 40,000 lives, including both Turkish soldiers and Kurdish guerrillas.

Copyright © 2023 Ekurd.net. All rights reserved

Turkish drone kills 4 SDF members in Syrian Kurdistan: SDF

• Published: July 29, 2023

QAMISHLO, Syrian Kurdistan,— A Turkish  drone strike near the Turkey-Syria border killed on Friday four members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the autonomous Kurdish administration in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) said.

In recent weeks, Turkey has escalated its drone attacks on regions controlled by the Kurdish administration in Syria, carrying out these strikes on a regular basis.

The SDF, backed by the United States, played a significant role in driving out Islamic State group fighters from Syria’s last remaining territories in 2019.

According to a press release by the SDF, the drone attack on Friday targeted a village in the Amuda region, resulting in the loss of four fighters from a self-defense group.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor with reliable sources on the ground, reported that the drone struck a training camp in Hasaka province, killing four SDF members and injuring eight. This was the second Turkish drone strike in Hasaka within 24 hours, with a previous attack on Thursday claiming the lives of three SDF fighters when their vehicles were targeted near the border.

Ankara views the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the dominant faction within the SDF, as an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). On Friday, On Friday, another Turkish drone attack killed four alleged PKK members in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Three employees of the autonomous Kurdish administration killed on June 20th by a Turkish drone strike.

Figures from the Syrian Observatory indicate that, since the start of the year, Turkish drone strikes have caused the loss of 48 lives in Kurdish-majority areas, comprising 10 civilians and 35 members of the SDF or allied fighters.

Additionally, Turkey has conducted several ground operations since 2016 to displace Kurdish forces from northern Syrian border areas.

Since 2016, Ankara has launched three incursions into northern Syria, capturing extensive stretches of Kurdish land and penetrating around 30 kilometers into the country. These military operations primarily focused on targeting the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish YPG militia.

The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its powerful military wings, the YPG/YPJ, have earned recognition as the most effective fighting force against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. The United States has provided them with arms to support their efforts. The YPG, serving as the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), serving as the de facto army for the autonomous Kurdish administration in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), has successfully captured large areas of Syria from the Islamic State.

In 2013, the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which serves as the political wing of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), established three autonomous Cantons named Jazeera, Kobani, and Afrin, establishing a Kurdish government across Syrian Kurdistan. Later, on March 17, 2016, Kurdish and Arab authorities jointly declared the formation of a “federal region” comprising these semi-autonomous areas within Syrian Kurdistan.

Subsequently, on January 20, 2018, Turkey initiated a military operation against the YPG in the Kurdish canton of Afrin. This operation was backed by Syrian Islamic mercenary fighters, resulting in the YPG being forced out of Afrin on March 18.

On September 6, 2018, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria was declared in Ain Issa. Ever since, the Autonomous Administration has been responsible for implementing the principles of democratic confederalism in various municipalities and regions across North-East Syria.

The worldwide-respected PYD-led Autonomous Administration in northern Syria operates under a secular and decentralized self-rule model, with a strong emphasis on promoting equality between men and women, fostering direct democracy, and prioritizing environmental responsibility.

Turkey opposes and fears the establishment of an autonomous region for the Kurds in northern Syria similar to the Kurdish region in northern Iraq or the creation of an independent Kurdish state, according to experts.

Copyright © 2023 Ekurd.net. All rights reserved

Demo in Stockholm: "No to Erdogan's blackmail policy!"


Demonstrators in Stockholm sent a clear message with "No to Erdogan's blackmail policy" and "We are all PKK". The Turkish Foreign Ministry has summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Swedish embassy in Ankara.

ANF
STOCKHOLM
Sunday, 24 Jul 2022, 

A demonstration against the genocidal policies and barbaric practices of the Turkish state took place in the Swedish capital Stockholm on Saturday, also to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Rojava revolution. The participants gathered at the central Norra Bangorget Square and, after a minute's silence, walked to Sergels Torget Square in memory of those who died in the Kurdish liberation struggle.

The demonstration was led by a banner reading "No to Erdogan's policy of blackmail!" and another banner with the clear message "We are all PKK". The participants carried YPJ, YPG and PKK flags and pictures of Abdullah Öcalan and chanted "Murderer Erdogan", "No to genocide in Kurdistan" and "Bijî berxwedana Rojava" (Long live the resistance in Rojava). Along the march route, statements were constantly made and signatures collected for the removal of the PKK from the "terror list".

At the closing rally, the spokesperson of the Kurdish women's association in Sweden, YJK-Swêd, Ayşe Dîdar, gave a speech and said: "After the celebrations of the Rojava revolution, the murderer Erdoğan wants to demoralise the Kurdish people with his massacres of the civilian population. However, the revolution in Rojava has become a women's revolution for the whole world."

Rıdvan Altun, a member of the diplomatic committee of the Democratic Kurdish Community in Scandinavia, referred to the latest massacre of tourists in Zakho by the Turkish state and said that although the Turkish state tried to attribute responsibility to the PKK, it could not sell this lie to the world. Altun continued: "We condemn the silence of countries which say that human rights are important to them. Sweden in particular should not be silent on the policy of genocide. Negotiations are being held over the Kurdish people in the name of defending Turkey and everyone must now define their stance. The Swedish people should be sensitive to Erdoğan's practices."

According to the Turkish media, the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the acting chargé d'affaires of the Swedish embassy in Ankara on Saturday to convey the Turkish government's "sharp reaction" to the presence of "terrorist propaganda" in Sweden. The background is said to be a similar event in Gothenburg last Thursday.









 

Actions in Europe: Close Rojava airspace!

Kurds protested the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne and called for closing the airspace of Northern and Eastern Syria to the Turkish state.

ANF
NEWS DESK
Sunday, 24 Jul 2022

Kurds living in Europe and their friends took to the streets in many cities to support the Rojava Revolution, condemn the attacks by the Turkish state and to protest the Treaty of Lausanne on the anniversary.





FREIBURG

Kurds took to the streets in Freiburg where the representatives of the Freiburg Kurdish People's Assembly said: "The Kurdish people will not accept a new Treaty of Lausanne, which is intended to be imposed on us for another century under the threat of occupation and genocide. The Kurdish Freedom Guerrillas are resisting everywhere."


Demonstrators demanded the closure of the airspace of Northern and Eastern Syria.

PARIS

A big rally was held in République Square in Paris, organised by the French Kurdish Women's Movement (TJK-F) and the French Democratic Kurdish Council (CDK-F), on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Lausanne Treaty and the 10th anniversary of the Rojava Revolution.

Communist and Republicans Group Senator Pierre Laurent, NUPES deputy Danielle Simonnet and French Armenian Associations Coordination Council (CCAF) co-chair Mourad Papazian were among the speakers.

Emphasizing that as communists they stand by the Kurds' just struggle today, as they did yesterday, Pierre Laurent said: “NATO needs neither new members nor new soldiers. The silence about Erdogan's policy at the NATO summit in Madrid is unacceptable. On the anniversary of the Rojava Revolution, we asked numerous questions to the relevant ministries in our government, which remained silent about Erdogan's policy, which wanted to attack Rojava, the only hope for peace in the Middle East. They don't give an answer. We will continue to stand by Kurds. We will stand by democracy against despotism.”

NUPES Deputy Danielle Simonnet said: "Erdogan's desire to attack Rojava again is the product of fear of the egalitarian system the Kurds are implementing. Because Rojava shows that peoples, genders and beliefs can live together with the same rights. Our government must immediately break its silence and mobilize to preserve hope for peace in the Middle East.”

CCAF co-chair Mourad Papazian talked about his family who fled Van during the Armenian massacre. Papazian said: “It is necessary to be united against the Erdogan regime, which is a criminal regime. We must say stop Erdogan.”

During the action, CDK-F co-chair Xanê Akdoğan and former Van Ipekyolu Municipality co-mayor Veysel Keser said that they did not recognize the Lausanne Agreement.

The rally ended with a dance performance, slogans and a music concert by TEV-ÇAND artists.

FRANKFURT

A march was held in Frankfurt organised by FCDK KAWA. The demonstrators demanded that airspace be closed to Turkish flights.

FCDK-KAWA co-chairs Münevver Altınışık and Mehmet Çopan made a speech and demanded people to stand up for Rojava.

Speaking afterwards, KON-MED co-chair Zübeyde Zümrüt pointed out that the Kurdish people are going through a sensitive process and added that the values ​​represented by the Kurdish people cannot be destroyed. Zümrüt condemned the betrayal by the KDP.

OSLO

A large banner with the inscription #NOFLYZONE4ROJAVA was unfurled to draw attention to the hashtag campaign launched against the invasion attacks at the Opera House in Oslo.


MORE PHOTOS HERE

ANF | Actions in Europe: Close Rojava airspace! (anfenglish.com)

KURDISTAN

Paris rally: ‘Lift the state secret on massacres, free Abdullah Öcalan, delist the PKK’

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Paris against the massacres of 9 January 2013 and 22 December 2022, demanding the lifting of the state secret order on the investigation information and the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan.

ANF
PARIS
Saturday, 6 Jan 2024, 19:02
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Tens of thousands of people gathered in Gare du Nord Square against the Paris massacres and marched to Republique square in Paris today to demand justice for the PKK founding member Sakine Cansız (Sara), Fîdan Doğan (Rojbîn) and Leyla Şaylemez (Ronahî), who were murdered by the Turkish state in Paris on 9 January 2013, and for the three victims of the second Paris massacre, which claimed the lives of Emine Kara (Evîn Goyî), Mîr Perwer and Abdurrahman Kızıl on 23 December 2022.

Speakers addressing the crowd in Republique Square at a rally after the march demanded the lifting of the state secret order on the massacre cases, the removal of the PKK from the list of terrorist organisations and the freedom of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan.

TJK-E Spokesperson Ayten Kaplan thanked the participants of the march and rally and pointed out that those who ordered the massacre were protected. Kaplan said, "You did not accept France keeping this case in the dark. We appeal to the French state, we want justice to be done finally in this case. This massacre cannot remain in the dark. The killers are clear. Those who gave the instruction are clear. France must hold those responsible to account. Dirty games, dirty negotiations, dirty politics are being conducted. There are negotiations over the genocide of Kurds. These plans are being carried out by keeping Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdish people, on Imrali Island. We will not stop. Our search for justice will continue. We will be on the streets. We will march until the end by claiming the legacy of the martyrs, and we will say justice until the end. Jin Jiyan Azadi!"

After Ayten Kaplan's speech, Hélène Bidard, a senator from the Communist Party of France, took the stage with the senators and addressed the crowd, stating: "The three women killed in the massacre represented three different generations. The massacre was carried out by Turkish intelligence. We want light to be shed on this incident. These women were feminists and were fighting for all women. 10 years later, three more Kurds were murdered in Paris. Evîn Goyî fought against ISIS. She was murdered in Paris just like her friends martyred 10 years ago. I would like to commemorate Jina Amini here. She fought for the Kurdish women's feminist struggle and for the women of the world. On behalf of the French Communist Party, I call for the lifting of state secrecy. We want the Anti-Terrorism Court to deal with the matter. The French state is protecting the criminals in the massacre. France must clarify its position for the freedom of Kurdistan. On behalf of the FKP, I also call on the European Union to implement the judgments of the ECtHR. France must protect the Kurds in the country. We are with you against the dark forces".

İbrahim Bilen, speaking on behalf of the families of Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan, Leyla Şaylemez, Evin Goyi, Mir Perwer and Abdurrahman Kızıl, said: "We bow with respect in front of all our martyrs. If we can speak our language freely today, it is thanks to our martyrs, Leader Öcalan and those who resisted on the war front. We are here thanks to those who fought for this cause. Claim your martyrs. We are here thanks to our leader. We will not step back. We exist, we will exist. We are bigger than dungeons and chemical weapons.”

After the speech on behalf of the families of martyrs, Evin Goyi's little nephew Meles Bilen sang a song dedicated to all the martyrs of Paris.

Pascal Torre, co-chair of the Coordination Nationale Solidarité Kurdistan (CNSK), emphasised in his speech that the massacres cannot be brought to light until the state secret order on the case files is lifted. Torre said: "Those who were martyred in the massacre were murdered by Turkish intelligence. For 11 years, the CNSK has been with the CDK-F. We are in solidarity with them. However, no steps have been taken to shed light on the massacre because of the 'state secret' decision. Erdoğan is responsible for the massacre, the embassy is guilty. A crime has been committed against the Kurds. Why didn't the French state lift the state secret? The French state works in harmony with Turkish intelligence.

We want those who planned the massacre to be brought to justice. We condemn the Turkish state. We must work for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan. The PKK must be removed from the terrorist list. We condemn the bombing of Shengal by the Turkish state. France should support the Kurds.

Know that we will stand with you as the French committee of solidarity with Kurdistan. Long live the solidarity of peoples."

KCDK-E Co-President Zübeyde Zümrüt stated the following: "I bow with respect to the martyrs of the revolution in the person of Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan, Mîr Perwer and Evîn Goyî. As a Kurdish woman, I am grateful for their legacy. 11 years ago, Sakine Cansız, the pioneer of the Kurdish society, Leyla Şaylemez, the youth pioneer, and Fidan Doğan, a diplomat of the Kurdish people, were targeted. Kurdish women were targeted. For the second time in 10 years, we were murdered. We know our killers. The Kurdish people handed over those who played a role in both massacres to France. But the French state did not shed light on the massacre. We will not give up the search for justice. We will increase our struggle as much as our hatred. The French state closed its eyes. It swept the files under the carpet with state secrets. We will remove these secrets through people's struggle. We will be in action until we liberate Leader Öcalan."

Speaking after, KCDK-E Co-Chair Engin Sever said that the strongest response to the massacre would be the freedom of the Kurdish people's leader: “We have been massacred in Paris twice in 10 years. They wanted to keep the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle down. Leader Öcalan gave the greatest answer to them with the liberation of Rojava. In response to the second massacre, we will give the strongest response by liberating Leader Öcalan in 2024. These massacres were carried out by the Turkish state. The French state also has a hand. Both states are NATO members; it seems that there is a NATO finger in it. France is an EU member, there is an EU finger. Therefore, we must turn every area in Europe into a site of resistance.”

Mathilde Panot of the French Non-Submission Movement said in her speech: "I am a member of the Paris parliamentary group. The parliamentarians of our party are with us. Justice and truth have still not emerged. The Anti-Terrorism Court must be involved in this attack. We want to learn the details of this investigation. We support your struggle. We appeal to the French government. Lift state secrecy! We don't want people to be slaughtered in this city. We do not want this regime to commit massacres in Paris or elsewhere. The Kurdish people fought ISIS for the sake of all humanity. That is why every Kurd needs to be protected in this country. The Turkish state is using blackmail. We demand the release of political prisoners in Turkish prisons. We condemn the Turkish state’s bombing of Rojava, where a democratic, ecological, women's libertarian system is being formed there. Our struggle for justice and truth will continue."

Senator Remi Féraud, speaking on behalf of the municipality of Paris, also called for the lifting of the state secrecy on the massacre cases and stated: "I speak on behalf of the municipality of the 10th district of Paris and the municipality of Paris. I commemorate Sara, Rojbin, Ronahi once again. The state secrecy on the massacre cases must be lifted. These are political massacres committed in the centre of Paris. On behalf of the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, I say that we do not want such massacres to happen in Paris. This should be labeled as a terrorist attack and an Anti-Terrorism Court should hear the case. We are in solidarity with Rojava and we are with the Kurdish people. We stand with all Kurds in the struggle for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan. We are fighting for justice and for the truth to be revealed."

KCK Executive Council member Zübeyir Aydar emphasised that the French state did not conduct an effective investigation into the massacre cases: "We are in search of justice. Last year, 3 more Kurds were massacred here. 11 years have passed but justice has not been done yet. This case has been covered up until now. The French state has not taken a positive step in this matter. It did not carry out an investigation. It was MIT that carried out this massacre. There are voice recordings, there is evidence; but still no case has been opened against the Turkish State. Once again, we do not accept it. We appeal to the French state. You are also responsible. Kurds will follow their cases. We will follow these cases."

Aydar further spoke about the isolation of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan, the "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, a Political Solution to the Kurdish Question" campaign initiated worldwide on 10 October, the hunger strikes started in Turkish prisons and the guerrilla resistance against the Turkish state attacks in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

"We are going through a very important process. We have not heard anything from Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of our movement and our people, for 34 months. No one is allowed to meet with him, neither his family, nor his lawyers, or anyone else. Our friends started a campaign on 10 October for freedom for Öcalan and a solution to the Kurdish question. We call on our people to embrace this campaign because the freedom of Leader Öcalan and the freedom of the Kurdish people are interconnected. On the other hand, thousands of prisoners are on hunger strike for over 40 days. We must take our place in this process. We must fulfil our duty towards the prisoners in Iran and Turkey. I salute them. In addition, let the friend and foe know that the caravan of freedom is marching. The caravan of freedom that set out 50 years ago is today marching to freedom in the north, south, east and west. That is why thousands of Kurdish youths are fighting in the mountains of Kurdistan in these cold days to protect the values of our people.”

Speaking on behalf of the National Women's Movement, Suzy Rothman stated the following: “In the first massacre which took place in 2013, and the second in 2022, we know that the Kurdish women's movement was targeted in Paris because the target was Kurdish women pioneers. These women were exiled to France because they struggled against the mentality of power, and they were murdered here. The Kurdish women's movement is a feminist movement, and we take to the streets together on 25 November and 8 March, fighting for the women of the world. We must show solidarity for the realisation of the democratic society project developed in Rojava. Our struggle is up-to-date. And we want the truth to be revealed. We want light to be shed on the massacres. We are with you for truth and justice."

Jean Christophe Sellin, National Coordinator of the Left Party, then took the floor and said: "For truth and justice, we demand the lifting of state secrecy on these cases. We support the YPG and YPJ fighters in Rojava. We are with you against the Paris massacres. We want the PKK to be removed from the terror list. We will continue our struggle for truth and justice.

We want the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, Apo. And we believe that only Öcalan can develop a solution for the Kurdish people. The PKK and Kurdish parties are developing their project for democracy and ecological life. AKP is against this. We are with the Kurds in Rojava and with the Palestinians in Gaza.

Macron should lift the state secrecy on the case files and shed light on the Paris massacres. He should host the families of martyrs and do what is necessary.”

Oliver Besancenot, spokesperson of the New Anti-Capitalist Party, stated: "We must put pressure on the French state so that the state secret on the massacres is lifted. We send our greetings to the families of the martyrs. We stand with the Kurdish people. We are inspired by the project of democratic confederalism. We must fight together. Right-wing fascist governments are developing everywhere, in France too. These governments are not against Erdogan. France must do what is necessary to remove the PKK from the list of terrorist organisations. Political prisoners in Turkey and Öcalan must be released."

After the speeches, the message sent by the KJK Coordination was read to the participants, after which Denis Gravouil from the CGT union took the floor and said: “On behalf of the CGT union, we see very well that Kurdish people were murdered twice in Paris. These 6 people were murdered because they defended the Kurdish cause. We know that a fascist was responsible for the 2nd massacre, but he was used for other purposes. For this reason, the state secret on the massacres should be lifted and the Anti-Terrorism Court should hear the cases. The communes of the Kurdish people must be protected and those responsible must be put on trial. As CGT we want to show our solidarity. We demand truth and justice."

Jerome Gleizes, a member of the Paris Council for the Ecologists, said: "11 years ago Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan, Leyla Şaylemez were murdered in Paris. A year ago, Evîn Goyî, Mîr Perwer, Abdurrahman Kızıl were murdered in Paris. We want you to know that ecologists are on the side of the Kurds. Erdoğan's Turkey is behind these massacres. Courts must be functional for truth and justice to emerge. Ecologists are with the Kurds. The Treaty of Lausanne, which has just marked its hundredth year, is a betrayal of the Kurds. There can be no solution without recognizing Kurdish rights. I believe that in the future we will find realistic justice."

René le Mignot called for a dialog with Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan for a democratic solution to the Kurdish question. "Leyla Şaylemez was fighting for Kurdish youth. Fidan Doğan was conducting diplomacy for the Kurdish people. Sakine Cansız was a founder of the PKK and was fighting for the freedom of her people. That is why they were murdered. We have been calling for truth on this massacre for 11 years. All the evidence shows that the Turkish state is involved. Why wasn't the killer ever tried? If the killer was sick, why wasn't he out on trial earlier? We know that Erdoğan and the Turkish Embassy are behind this massacre. We reiterate our call upon the French state to lift the state secret on the massacre file. Because 10 years later another massacre was committed at a time when 60 Kurdish women activists were set to gather at the CDK-F. This attack was not a racist, but a terrorist attack. The Turkish state's war continues in a similar way in Rojava, Iraq and Iran. We know what the Kurdish people's leader is fighting for in the Middle East. Abdullah Öcalan, Kurdish politicians, and Selahattin Demirtaş must be released. We want the PKK to be removed from the list of terrorist organizations. As stated in the human rights convention, when the state attacks people, the people have the right to defend themselves. For a democratic solution to the Kurdish question, there must be dialogue between Abdullah Öcalan and the state,” said René le Mignot and ended her speech with a victory sign.

Lila Ayahalaa, on behalf of the Union Communiste Libertarie (Libertarian Communist Union-UCL), also called for the lifting of state secrecy on the massacre cases. In her speech, Lila Ayahalaa said: "Comrades, our organization stands with you today. The state secret on the 2013 attack must be lifted for the truth to be revealed. It is a political attack against the Kurdish people, against the peoples of Kurdistan. The strategy of the occupying Turkish state is the same. It attacks the Kurdish people everywhere. The enemies of women know very well that women's struggle brings revolution. Democratic confederalism inspires peoples all over the world. The PKK is waging a struggle of self-defense against fascism. Therefore, Abdullah Öcalan must be released. Revolution is universal."

The rally ended with a concert by TEV-ÇAND artists.