The Internationalist Brigade has been a part of the Rojava Revolution for the last 3 years, and consists of fighters from various countries around the world. The Internationalist Brigade fighters participated in the operations to liberate Kobanê and Manbij from ISIS invasion as well and offer valuable contributions to both the front lines and the hinterland. Every fighter takes on a duty suitable for their skills, experience and expertise. The Internationalist fighters are participating in the Great Battle following the Wrath of Euphrates operation and are marching into the heart of ISIS darkness. We talked to them about the motivations that brought them to Rojava, what keeps them there and their projections on the current situation and the future.

"PART OF MY OWN FREEDOM"

İmera Fera Yeşilgöz stressed that taking Raqqa, the epicenter of the gang organizations, will be the start to being rid of a barbaric group and that she believes it is necessary to be on the front lines in such a key battle. Yeşilgöz said, as part of the Internationalist Brigade, they are fighting for the whole of humanity and added: “And, the war we wage here is part of our own struggle for our freedom. This war and this resistance will spread to wherever fascism lies. And we are the ones to get it there.”

"HERE IS THE GREAT FRONT OF HUMANITY"

İnhak Efe stated that the most suitable place for her to fight and live for her own ideology is the Internationalist Brigade and added that it is impossible to ignore the lure of being on the front lines against ISIS. “All over the world, internationalists fought for humanity, and today the greatest front in the fight for humanity is Rojava,” said Efe and stated that the greatest motivating factor is that they are fighting for humanity.

"WE ARE NOT DONE AFTER RAQQA"

Efe said they will not be done after they liberate Raqqa, and continued: “We want to clear the fascistic mindset from the world itself. I will continue to fight until ISIS and all similar potential and supporting sections are destroyed.”

"MY WAR WON’T BE OVER UNTIL FASCISM ENDS"

“Raqqa will be a free city, but my war won’t end until fascism ends,” said Efe and added: “Everything that happened during the Rojava war opened the gates for another world, every minute, every second, every laugh, every martyred comrade and every great clash sows the seeds for a new world. I am calling on the youth and the women in particular, when you stop bowing down to one thing, once you get a taste for it, then you will never bow again.”

“MY WAR ISN’T ONLY WITH ISIS”

Qamuran Zagros said she joined the Internationalist Brigade from London and added that she wants to contribute to the Kurdish Freedom Struggle and the Rojava Revolution. She also aims to spread this struggle and said: “I am also here to fight against enemies of humanity like the Syrian regime and the Turkish state.”

Zagros said the Raqqa front is rough and tiring, but that doesn’t stop her. She said she will continue to fight against fascism and regressive ideologies after Raqqa as well.

"NOT FOR IDEOLOGIES, FOR HUMANITY"

Devrim Botan came from Istanbul and has been fighting on the frontlines for 3 years against the ISIS gangs and for the freedom of all the peoples in the world. Botan stressed that ISIS and the forces behind it are enemies of humanity and continued: “Thousands of young people died. There was a genocide. Today I’m not fighting for communism, or socialism, or whatever else ideology. I’m only here for humanity. I am fighting for human values, human freedoms and the oppressed, ignored people threatened with their lives.”

Botan insistently expressed that she came to Rojava because she felt the need to do something in the name of humanity as a human being. Botan said the following to people who haven’t lost their humane qualities yet: “If you try, you will have a chance. But if you don’t you already lost.”

"THE MAIN DUTY FOR REVOLUTIONARIES DOESN’T CHANGE"

Fighter Azad Newroz is from California. Her family moved to America from southern London. “The main duty for revolutionaries is always to fight against fascism,” said Newroz, and stressed that fighting against ISIS is her primary duty as well. Newroz said she thinks the democratic revolution in Rojava is very important and that avoiding the contribution she could make here is impossible. Newroz thinks liberating Raqqa will also mean avenging the terror attacks in London and Manchester. She said: “We stand with the Kurds, we are part of the Kurdish freedom struggle. And we will continue to fight for all oppressed people. We will fight until fascism is ended and a democratic and egalitarian way of life is ensured.”

* This article first appeared on Yeni Özgür Politika newspaper and was translated by ANF English service.