War against ISIS/Daesh: Tens of thousands flock to Kobanê border for celebration; YPG Commander warns that the threat to the city is not over (Kurdistan)

Tens of thousands flock to Kobanê border for celebration



URFA 27.01.2015 14:00:14

Thousands of people from cities across North Kurdistan and Turkey are continuing to reach Mehser village at Suruç-Kobanê border where a celebration event is being organised following the victory of resistance in Kobanê.

People in the village, which has been covered in traditional Kurdish colours, red, green and yellow, and with flags and posters, have started the celebration singing and performing the traditional Kurdish folk dance halay.

Thousands have been gathering since early morning at the point directly opposite the Kaniya Kurda area of Kobanê for the celebration event that started at noon.

The celebration event has taken the form of a large rally. ‘The liberation of Kurdistan will come through the struggle of guerrillas’ reads the main poster in the rally area which is covered with posters of the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and Arin Mirkan, Paramaz Kızılbaş and Kader Ortakaya who were martyred in Kobanê.

While the celebrations have started in Mehser, thousands are on their way to the village to join this well-deserved celebration.

48 youths join resistance in Kobanê

KOBANÊ 28.01.2015 10:30:10

While celebrations for the liberation of Kobanê after 134 days of battle go on in Kobanê, YPG Commander Mahmut Berxwedan has warned yesterday that the threat to the city has not been entirely removed as the operations against ISIS gangs continue in the villages around the city. The YPG Commander also called on the youth to return to their land and take their part in the operations to liberate the villages and in the re-building of the settlements.

Answering the call of Mahmut Berxwedan, 48 young people who took refuge with their families in Suruç district of Urfa in North Kurdistan following the savage attacks of ISIS, have returned to Kobanê in order to take part in the liberation of the villages and the rebuilding of the city. The youths who crossed into Kobanê from the Murşitpınar border gate also called on all the youth from Kobanê to return to their lands and join the rebuilding. 75-year-old Mahmut Xelil also joined the youths in their return as he was –he said –homesick.

Azad Hemo, who is among those returning to Kobanê, recalled that thousands of people had fled from the attacks of ISIS gangs, adding that he also had to cross to Suruç after sustaining an injury in a clash. “Kobanê has now been liberated, but the resistance continues in the villages. I have come back to do my bit in the resistance and the rebuilding of the city”, said Hemo.

Another youngster, Müslüm Temo, who has also returned to Kobanê, said: “We crossed into North Kurdistan together with our families. The life there was pretty hard. Now, the YPG and YPJ forces have liberated our city, we are grateful to them. But the resistance continues. We want all the youths to return to Kobanê and join the ranks of the resistance”.

Meanwhile, 75-year-old Mahmut Xelil, who has been terribly homesick, lived an emotional moment as crossed into Kobanê. He said he had to leave the city 4 months ago, adding that a son of his was fighting against the gangs in the ranks of the YPG. Xelil has left his family in Suruç for the moment, but he himself couldn’t bear to be away from Kobanê any longer, as each day that he was away seemed like a year to him, he said.

Tags: Insurrection, Iraq, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Kurdistan, People's Defence Units (Y.P.G.), Rojava, Syria, Turkey, War, Women's Defense Units (YPJ)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 28th, 2015 at 6:29 pm and is filed under Autonomy.