Kongra Star marks World Kobani Day, calls for protecting city

On the occasion of World Kobani Day, observed annually on 1 November, Kongra Star published a statement on its official website commemorating the historic sacrifices made in the fight against ISIS mercenaries in 2014, while highlighting the current and future challenges facing the city.

The statement opened by paying tribute to the martyrs of the resistance, particularly Arin Mirkan. It stressed that the determination demonstrated by the resistance was no longer confined to the city's geographical boundaries, but had become deeply rooted in humanity's collective memory and conscience as a struggle for freedom and human dignity, placing an ongoing responsibility on everyone to preserve these values.

The statement noted that 1 November represents an "epic of resilience" by a people who refused to bow to darkness. It said that, through their unwavering determination and international solidarity from across the world, the resistance fighters managed to break the siege of the city and repel ISIS attacks, turning Kobani into an international symbol of ISIS's defeat and a renewed source of hope for peoples worldwide.

In this context, Kongra Star stressed that what happened in Kobani went beyond the military defence of a city, representing instead a defence of a model of coexistence, equality and solidarity that transcends political, linguistic and ideological boundaries. It noted that the experience demonstrated how local resistance can become a universal human value.

The statement warned of the current threats surrounding Kobani's future, rejecting any attempt to reduce its cause to mere "administrative arrangements, political calculations or pressure over borders."

Kongra Star stated that any harm to Kobani's social fabric and spirit would constitute an attack on the shared memory of the resistance. It called for the city's security concerns and future to be addressed with the utmost seriousness, while warning against any acts of revenge or settling of scores that could pave the way for terrorist organisations to regain strength.

Concluding its statement, Kongra Star called on democratic, socialist and internationalist forces, as well as human rights defenders worldwide, to fulfil their responsibilities towards Kobani's security and the will of its people. It stressed that protecting the city today is an extension of the spirit of international solidarity witnessed in 2014 and an effort to keep the light of freedom from being extinguished.