Refusal To Recognize The YPJ’s Status Is An Ideological attack.

The past 13 years have shown that YPJ is not only a military force, but also a women’s defense force fighting for women’s freedom and equality. Its establishment changed the course of the war and life in Rojava (West Kurdistan) and Syria, leading many transformations. While waging a military struggle against ISIS, YPJ has also fought against sexist and racist mindsets within society, paving the way for change and transformation.

YPJ, as a creation of the free woman, emerged from the need of Kurdish, Arab, Turkmen and Assyrian women to defend themselves against male-dominated armed groups, bringing women together under a common purpose. Through its resistance, struggle and ideology, it has gone beyond the borders of Rojava, becoming a source of hope and inspiration for women worldwide and laying the groundwork for women’s international unity and a global women’s confederalism. With its dignified struggle, it has also challenged feudal mindsets within Kurdish society and symbolized democratic national unity.

While gaining global recognition through its resistance against ISIS, YPJ continues to illuminate the path of the women’s struggle with its women’s liberation paradigm. In this sense, it has secured an important place in the history of struggle and resistance not only for Kurdish women but for women around the world, creating a significant legacy. It has become a source of hope in the fight against male domination, occupation, genocide and oppression.

YPJ is not only the name of struggle and self-defense against a male-dominated system, but also the name of a new and free life. Despite the destructive nature of war, the YPJ has come to represent the building of free women and a free life.

While no living being in nature is without self-defense, women have historically been deprived of this right under male domination and have paid a heavy price. The wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Somalia and Iran have once again shown the severe consequences faced by women left without self-defense. At a time when wars are intensifying across Kurdistan and the world and violence against women is increasing, telling women to have no self-defense means leaving them at the mercy of dominant powers and armed groups.

At a time when integration between the Syrian interim government and Rojava is being discussed, one of the most prominent issues is the status of YPJ. In a period when armed groups continue their attacks, primarily targeting women, questioning YPJ’s status and the refusal of the Syrian interim government to recognize it constitutes a major attack on women’s gains and will. The Syrian interim government, through its cabinet and draft laws, has clearly shown its sexist character and its refusal to recognize women’s rights. Under such conditions, leaving women without self-defense is unacceptable.

The refusal to recognize the YPJ’s status is undoubtedly an ideological attack. Women are expected to submit to everything; having a say and power in all areas of life, in areas of defense, of education, health and the economy, is not something a government shaped by a mindset similar to ISIS can easily accept. However, women continue to declare that they will not surrender to this mentality. Most recently, on 27 April, the Women’s Joint Action Platform in Rojava launched a campaign in support of the YPJ, calling for their inclusion within the defense ministry structure and for their status to be officially recognized. As KJK, we salute this meaningful campaign initiated by women. Embracing, protecting and advancing YPJ and its achievements, one of the key pillars of Abdullah Ocalan’s assessment that the 21st century will be the century of women, means protecting our future.

YPJ is a red line for all women committed to a free life. On this basis, we call on all our people, especially women, from Bakur (North Kurdistan) to Bashur (Southern Kurdistan), from Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan) to Europe, from Shengal to Maxmur, to support this campaign. The crimes committed by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) against women in Rojava, Syria and Shengal must be documented and brought before the world, and legal action must be pursued.

We call on youth, mothers, academics, artists, lawyers, internationalists and everyone to support this campaign and to make the issue of women’s self-defense more visible through activities in their respective fields.