DELAL REMEZAN

Hasakah- In an interview with NuJINHA, Aziza Heso, the chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) Women’s Council, spoke about the ongoing Turkish attacks on North and East Syria. Emphasizing that women leading the revolution in North and East Syria play an important role in building peace and democracy in the region, she said, “The Turkish state aims to break the will and identity of women by targeting pioneering women in its ongoing attacks on North and East Syria.”

‘Women have been fighting the patriarchal mindset throughout history’

Indicating that women have the capacity to develop their societies and educate their families and tribes, Aziza Heso said, “Women have been fighting the patriarchal mindset throughout history despite everything. Repressive and authoritarian regimes have fought women for years to exclude them from politics. Women have the capacity to run countries. For instance, Septimia Zenobia and Cleopatra run empires.”

‘Women started taking part in all facets of life’

Pointing out that women could not participate in politics and decision-making positions before the revolution in Rojava, Aziza Heso said, “Since the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) was established, more women have been participating in politics and decision-making positions. Now, women make their voices heard and they are visible.”

‘The Turkish state has targeted pioneering women’

In North and East Syria, women have gained important achievements, she said, “However, the Turkish state has targeted the pioneering women and women’s achievements. The ongoing Turkish attacks on North and East Syria have targeted leaders, activists and politicians. The pioneering women are especially targeted in these attacks because the Turkish state wants to annihilate the Kurdish people by targeting women.”

‘Women will keep resisting’

Aziza Heso told us that the women of North and East Syria would not take a step back despite the inhuman practices of ISIS and the Turkish state. “Women will keep resisting despite all rights violations committed in North and East Syria by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions. The Turkish state targets not only women in North and East Syria. In 2013, it killed Sakine Cansız and her comrades in Paris.”

Call on the international community and all women’s organizations

Emphasizing that Turkey is afraid of women and their thoughts, Aziza Heso added:

“On the morning of June 20, Qamishlo Canton Co-chair Yousra Darwish, her deputy Lîman Şiwêş and their driver Fırat Tûma were killed between Bandar and Tal Sh’ir villages in Qamishlo in a Turkish airstrike. Dozens of pioneering women have been targeted and killed by the Turkish state until now. We become more aware of our rights thanks to the ideology and the philosophy of leader Abdullah Öcalan. We will keep struggling and we call on the international community and all women’s organizations to stand by North and East Syrian women against the Turkish attacks.”