Self-defense and building a democratic society are two essential pillars for ensuring stability and freedom. Only together, we will be able to create a secure, just, and dignified future for every member of society. But what exactly does self-defense mean? And how does it relate to establishing a democratic society? What role do women play in this? Women from Kongra Star, the Women Protection Units YPJ and the Beth Nahrin’s Women’s Protection Forces discuss these important topics. This project was a cooperation between YPJ Information and Documentation Office, Kongra Star and Women Defend Rojava.      

Every shot fired by the YPJ is a shot fired in defense of dignity and life. In this short video we remember other shots, also fired in defense of life like the ones fired on August 15, 1984. On this day the sound of gunfire proved and ensured the existence of the Kurdish people, despite all attempts to wipe them out. https://ypj-info.org/wp-content/uploads/15-Tabaxe-inglisi-1.mp4

On the occasion of the revolution in Rojava on July 19 2025, we spoke to two female YPJ fighters.   https://ypj-info.org/wp-content/uploads/Salvegera-Soresa-Rojava_inglisi.mp4

On 09.12.2024 the women struggle reached new heights. On this day Dilda Welat, Cudî Tolhildan, Axîn Koçer, Sema Hesekê and Tolhildan Serêkanîyê fought a great struggle against the approaching militias.  Tolhildan Serêkanîyê felt martyr in the fight. Dilda Welat, Cudî Tolhildan, Axîn Koçer and Sema Hesekê fought until their last bullet. Then they decided to use a hand grenade to explode themselves and the approaching enemy.  With this action they continued the line of of martyr Zilan, who herself wrote a new chapter of women struggle on 30 June 1996. With her self-sacrificial action in the heart of the enemy she showed that the enemy is not invincible. With gratitude we remember martyr Zilan, the self-sacrifice of women fighters in Mimbic and all the women who gave their lives for the cause of freedom and justice.   https://ypj-info.org/wp-content/uploads/final.mp4

A delegation of the Danielle Mitterrand Foundation visited YPJ and afterwards shared wit us their thoughts on the visit and discussions.

Statement of the General Command of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) In light of the recent developments in Syria particularly following Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) seizure of power and the overthrow of the Ba’athist Syrian regime we observe that the conflict in Syria has deepened, descending further into widespread chaos. This jihadist regime and its extremist ideology have perpetrated massacres and acts of genocide against our people in the Syrian coastal regions. Today, we witness this same oppressive force launching brutal assaults against our Druze community with equal ferocity. Yet, our Druze people represent an ancient and honorable community, just like all the other components of Syrian society, and they have long struggled for their freedom and independence. HTS, with its authoritarian and oppressive mentality, seeks to subjugate the deeply rooted peoples of this land, such as the Alawites and Druze, deliberately sowing sectarian conflict and fueling tensions among the diverse communities of the region. By doing so, they aim to exploit these divisions in pursuit of their notorious strategy of “divide and rule.” Recent events have further exposed the grave danger posed by this jihadist ideology not only to the peoples of Syria but to women in particular. A regime that rejects the rich diversity of peoples and faiths can never be a model for governance in Syria. Historically, Syria has been a homeland where diverse communities have coexisted on the same land. This diversity must never be a pretext for genocide or persecution; rather, it should be a wellspring for freedom of thought, expression, and coexistence. In truth, Syria has endured the unspeakable horrors of a prolonged and bloody war. The peoples of this region are exhausted by this destruction and yearn to live freely and with dignity on their own land. However, the jihadist mentality categorically rejects Syria’s social mosaic, thus obstructing any path toward rebuilding a democratic, pluralistic Syria. Moreover, democracy cannot take root in a system dominated by patriarchal and authoritarian rule. The model capable of leading Syria into a just and peaceful future is the Democratic Nation model whose achievements can already be witnessed in the reality of North and East Syria (Rojava), where all communities have been able to express their identities and live freely in harmony and mutual respect. As the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), we categorically condemn these terrorist crimes committed against our Druze and Alawite peoples, who are an integral part of Syria’s social fabric. We stand firmly against all forms of systematic terrorist aggression that target human values and threaten the unity of Syrian society. We believe that self-defense is the primary and indispensable guarantee for building a free and democratic society. We affirm that only women possess the vision and strength to lead Syria through this critical juncture, steering the region toward stability and security. At the same time, we can construct a future Syria that is democratic and secure, guided by the ethical and aesthetic consciousness of womena consciousness that stands in direct opposition to the dominant, violent, patriarchal mentality. On this basis, we call upon all peoples especially women to embrace the principle of self-defense as a means to protect their rights and the rights of all communities, for self-defense is a natural and legitimate right for every people. Women across the region and around the world must shoulder their historic responsibility to their peoples, and together, we must escalate our struggle to strengthen unity and organization. Once again, we reaffirm our commitment to building a free and dignified life through collective struggle and shared consciousness. We declare that the only viable solution for Syria lies in establishing a participatory society shaped by the organized will and leadership of women. In response to the massacres committed against our Syrian people, our greatest act of resistance will be to embrace the mission of legitimate self-defense with conscious, organized resolve and to realize a democratic Syria that welcomes all peoples and women in peace, dignity, and freedom. General Command of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) 04.05.2025

The revolution in Rojava/ North and East Syria is entering its 13th year of existence, driven by the pioneering role of the Women’s Protection Units, which have taken a heavy burden on them in order to protect the peoples of the region. The YPJ has resisted all occupying forces and militias, and became a source of inspiration and great strength for all women around the world to stand up against all kinds of attacks. The occupying Turkish state, which bases its existence on the extinction of the Kurdish people and the revolution, has seen the revolution from its beginning as a threat to itself, thus carrying out numerous attacks in order to obstruct and weaken the revolution from progressing. Feeling particularly threatened by the fact that this is a women’s revolution in its truest sense, the Turkish state has been especially targeting women and the leaders of this revolution. All courage, sacrifice, and hard work of the past 12 years have been made to protect all women in the world and humanity itself. The fighters and commanders of YPJ are not simply in their skills of warfare but also due to their ideological and political stance an example for all women to struggle against the consciousness of the dominant men, capitalist and hegemonic forces on multiple fronts. In this regard, targeting YPJ fighters and commanders does not mean to simply target the military defense of North and East Syria, the protection of the people, but the revolution as a whole. In this brochure, we want to shed light on the lives of the YPJ fighters and commanders who were martyred in the year 2024 in assassinations by the Turkish state. You can read and download the full brochure here.  

Without all the friends who have given their precious life, the Rojava revolution would not exist. Our existence is bound to their martyrdom. They are our legacy. For the official ‘Day of Martyrs of North and East Syria’, which commemorates all martyrs but especially those of the Qereçox hill massacre (25.04.2017), we spoke with YPJ Commander Nesrin Abdullah about the meaning of martyrdom and martyrs for the revolution. She remembers the martyrs of the Qereçox hill massacre and explains how the people’s response to this attack became paradigmatic for a common struggle for the democratic nation and freedom.

The revolution in North and East Syria has seen around 14.000 friends martyred. To honor them the 25th of April was declared “Day of Martyrs of North an East Syria” by the Autonomous Administration. On this occasion we spoke with Gulê, mother of a fallen fighter and spokesperson of the Women’s Committee of the Federation of Families of Martyrs, about this question.

In Syria, after the fall of the Ba’ath regime, which failed to respond to any social demands, the crisis persists, and the fate of women and peoples continues to face grave dangers and suffering. At this historical juncture the world is experiencing, especially in the Middle East, if the intensive and long-term negotiations for the country’s reconstruction are not handled with the utmost sensitivity, they will lose their credibility and legitimacy. In this context, while it is highly suspicious that the fate of an entire region is being determined solely by armed groups behind closed doors in Damascus on January 29, it is even more alarming that Hatim Abu Shaqra, the leader of the Ahrar al-Sharqiya group—which assassinated Future Syria Party leader Hevrin Khalaf in 2019—has joined this dubious conference. Furthermore, his appointment by the Damascus authority is a blatant disregard for the Kurdish women’s struggle, which is recognized worldwide without question. Even worse, this signals that there is no place for women in the “new Syria” that is being shaped. No conference or decision can be legitimate if women and the people are not included in it. As the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), we do not recognize the legitimacy of this conference or its resolutions. For 14 years, we have waged a historic resistance as freedom fighters—women and men—within the ranks of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG), under the leadership of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), against ISIS, which the Justice and Development Party (AKP) calls “righteous sons” and actively supports. We fight not only to protect our people but also to defend humanity from the attacks and massacres that have taken place in numerous cities across Europe and, most recently, in the United States. We have battled ISIS and the mercenaries backed by Turkey for many years, and the entire world has witnessed this. Therefore, we cannot be expected to accept the jihadist ideology and its representatives, who seek to establish a state and revive old jihadists disguised in a new form. Today, they continue their assaults on the peoples of North and East Syria. Some may attempt to refine their image with a suit and tie, but this does not mean we will overlook the truth about these murderers—those who have spilled the blood of thousands, committed massacres, beheaded people, and gone so far as to mutilate the bodies of women with utter brutality. These killers must be prosecuted immediately and subjected to the punishment they deserve. Additionally, the fascist leader of the Justice and Development Party, Erdoğan, who has nurtured, exploited, and deployed them, must be brought before the International Criminal Court. This is a moral duty that falls upon every individual and every institution that upholds humanity and democracy, especially all the women of the world. The systematic killing of women marked the beginning of societal collapse in this region. Therefore, the new Syria will rise at the hands of women fighting for freedom, not at the hands of those who murder them. JIN JIYAN AZADÎ General Command of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) 02.02.2025

The struggle of the people of northern and eastern Syria against the darkness and oppression of this era has revived the faith of nations once again. Kobani, with its historic resistance, has become became a symbol of the human quest for freedom. The truth revealed in Kobani was the truth of a resilient and honorable people. Meanwhile, the system of capitalist modernity attacked society with utmost brutality under the guise of ISIS, as ISIS is a product of capitalist powers. With its oppression and savagery, it became a calamity for the people. No power was able to defend the light in the face of darkness. However, our forces and our people confronted ISIS mercenaries with great courage and managed to defeat them. In 2014, ISIS laid siege to Kobani with the support of external forces, especially the Turkish occupying state, and brought about atrocities unheard of. ISIS left behind unforgettable tragedies and pain on soil, carrying out a acts of genocide against our peoples. But the will of our people was stronger than ISIS, and the will of women in their struggle for freedom led them to victory. In Kobani, women fighters waged a tremendous resistance without seeking support from any external forces. These fighters, determined despite limited resources, risked their precious lives in order to defend their people. As the world witnessed the truth of our fighters and our people, they rallied around this resistance. Kobani’s resistance created a spirit of solidarity among people and a turning point for freedom seekers to defend humanity against darkness. As revolutionary women, we organized ourselves under the banner of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), which continue to grow stronger, writing heroic epics in the fight against ISIS. In every corner of Kobani, we wrote legends of our resistance. Each time ISIS attacked, it faced the great resistance of revolutionary women. Women’s leadership in the Kobani resistance changed the world’s perception of women and overturned all previously held notions about them. The steadfastness of women freedom fighters such as heroines like Rêvan Rojava, Arîn Mîrkan, Zehra Penaber, and Viyan Peyman, who sacrificed their lives for the struggle for freedom, provided an exemplary model of courage and sacrifice, and defined the standards of women’s liberation. Today as well, the fighters of the Women’s Protection Units, with the same spirit of Kobani’s resistance, continue to stand in the trenches at Tishrin Dam and Qaraqozak Bridge against the same dark forces, refusing to allow any oppressive power to occupy even a part of their homeland. The resistance of our people and the protection units has created a culture of perseverance and determination to achieve victory, no matter the circumstances. Today this reality is seen as Tishrin dam, were the people of North-East Syria continue their struggle alongside their fighters to safeguard their achievements and regardless of what happens, the people’s determination for their freedom will persist. The women’s revolution is a truth solidified through the participation of all the peoples of northern and eastern Syria in embodying the paradigm of a democratic and ecological nation and demanding women’s freedom. We, as the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), reaffirm our commitment to our struggle for freedom and democracy. The spirit of Kobani’s resistance is our truth and the truth of our people. With the spirit of Kobani’s victorious resistance, we will confront all barbaric occupational attacks. On the occasion of the anniversary of Kobani’s liberation, we remember with gratitude all the martyrs who gave their lives in this great resistance, starting with the martyrs Arîn, Rêvan, Viyan, Mîdîa, and Zehra. We pay tribute and salute the resistance of our people and all revolutionaries striving for freedom. We walk in the footsteps of our martyrs and are determined to continue the struggle for freedom until the last breath. General Command of the Women’s Protection Units 25.01.2025

 On the 27th November 2024 the jihadist militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allies began an offensive against the Bashar al-Assad regime, which was to end its reign and significantly change power dynamics in the Middle East. Simultaneously Turkey and its mercenary army, the Syrian National Army (SNA), began an offensive against the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) and its peoples. They began by invading the Shehba canton, forcefully displacing an estimated 150.000 people. Shortly after they besieged the Manbij canton, just west of the Euphrates river. This occupational war, that has been going on for over 55 days as of date, has seen war crimes such as targeting Tishreen dam itself, posing a great danger to the region and beyond. The Tishreen Dam, located east of Aleppo on the Euphrates River, is part of the vital civil infrastructure in North and East Syria. The dam provides around one million people with agricultural, water and electricity needs. Turkey has been bombing its vicinity since the 9th December 2024 nearly on a daily basis with drones and occasionally with warplanes. If the Tishreen Dam, which holds 2 billion cubic meters of water, collapses, the dam will spill into the Euphrates River. Even under the precautionary measure of opening all river gates, the level of water will reach 16 billion cubic meters, far exceeding the river beds, meaning it will flood the surrounding areas. The consequences of the flooding would reach as far as Raqqa and possible even Iraq. As a response to these heinous attacks, the people of North-East Syria began protesting the bombing of the dam in order to protect their livelihoods. Beginning on 8th January 2025, people drove in a convoy to Tishreen dam, planning to hold a vigil. Since the 8th the people have been holding a vigil at Tishreen dam, with every few days convoys departing and newly arriving. Turkey has not stopped attacking the civilians, consciously targeting these despite clearly showing as civilian gatherings. While the Turkish state continues its attacks on the dam itself, it overall attacked the civilian convoy and gatherings seven times with aerial bombardment, at times being accompanied by shelling on the ground from SNA militias: * On 08.01.2025 Turkish drones targeted the convoy en route to Tishreen dam and later also at Tishreen dam itself, resulting in 3 civilians being martyred and 15 civilians being injured. * On 15.01.2025 again a convoy driving to Tishreen dam was targeted on the way nar Sirrin town, resulting in 1 civilian being martyred and 4 civilians being injured. In this attack Kurdish Red Cresecent ambulances were also destroyed. Further drones attacked a civilian gathering nearby the dam, resulting in 3 civilians being martyred and 19 civilians being injured. One young woman later also died of her injuries. * On 16.01.2025 Turkish warplanes targeted the people gathered at Tishreen dam, resulting in 1 civilian being martyred and over 40 civilians being injured, including 3 journalists. 4 civilians who were injured died the same day of their injuries. * On 18.01.2024 Turkish drones attacked a gathering at Tishreen dam martyring 6 civilians and injuring 15. An ambulance transporting injured civilians to the hospital was also targeted near the Tishreen dam vicinity. * On 21.01.2025 Turkish drones targeted civilians while they were dancing on Tishreen dam. The attack lead to 2 civilians being martyred and 20 being injured. * On 22.01.2025 a Turkish drone attacked again the civilian gathering on the dam, resulting in 1 civilians being martyred and 22 being injured. Since the 8th January 2025, overall 203 civilians have been injured in attacks on Tishreen dam, including health workers and journalists, and 22 civilians have been martyred. Turkey has been conducting several war crimes – targeting civilians, targeting health workers and targeting journalists. The Turkish state continues to act with impunity among the international community. SDF further obtained footage from a Turkish drone showing that Turkish Armed Forces are operating drones from a base on Syrian territory. (Information as of 24.01.2025 14:00 CET) TURKISH WAR CRIMES ATTACKS ON TISHREEN DAM AND CIVILIANS PROTESTS AT TISHREEN DAM 17.-23. JANUARY 2025 Download PDF Download PDF TURKISH WAR CRIMES ATTACKS ON TISHREEN DAM AND CIVILIANS PROTESTS AT TISHREEN DAM 8.-16. JANUARY 2025 Download PDF Download PDF