RIHA - November 2 of every year has been celebrated as "Internatıonal Rojava Day" since 2019, when attacks on Northern and Eastern Syria increased. The day of those who say "A new life is possible" will be celebrated under the shadow of attacks this year too.

 

ISIS, which captured Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, surrounded the Kobanê canton of Northern and Eastern Syria from three sides when the date showed September 15, 2014. ISIS killed thousands of people in the settlements it attacked with heavy weapons and forced the rest to migrate. ISIS, which occupied the villages of Kobanê one by one, reached the city center in October and captured a large part of the city. Despite this, the People's Defense Units (YPG) and Women's Defense Units (YPJ) did not surrender the city.

 

The self-sacrificing action carried out by YPJ fighter Arîn Mîrkan on Miştenur Hill on October 5 changed the course of the conflict. After the action, Kobanê became a bastion of resistance and the resistance resonated all over the world. The name of Kobanê, a small city in Northern and Eastern Syria, spread to 7 continents of the world with the resistance. In order to embrace the resistance, the world's leading intellectuals and human rights institutions declared November 1 as World Kobanê Day. Hundreds of thousands of people from 57 countries of the world first took to the streets to support the Kobanê resistance on November 1, 2014, when the attacks were intense. Kobanê, which did not surrender to the darkness with solidarity, was liberated on January 26, 2015, as a result of 135 days of historical resistance.

 

The resistance that started in Kobanê later spread to all of Northern and Eastern Syria and brought hope to the people of the world with the new life built. Türkiye, on the other hand, targeted the cities of Northern and Eastern Syria after the defeat of ISIS. Having captured Jarablus, Azaz and Bab, Turkey and the paramilitary groups it supports attacked Afrin on January 20, 2018, and the cities of Serêkaniye and Girê Spî on October 9, 2019.

 

In order to show solidarity with Northern and Eastern Syria against the attacks, November 2, 2019 was declared International Rojava Day with the motto "Rojava is ours". Every year on November 2, the voice of "Rojava is ours" is raised in areas around the world, especially in Northern and Eastern Syria.

 

BUILD STEP BY STEP

 

The resistance and the subsequent construction process, which had great repercussions all over the world, started with the public uprisings that started in Tunisia in late 2010 and spread to many Middle Eastern countries in a short time. The popular rebellions in question spread to Syria on March 15, 2011. The rebellion, which went down in history as the "Arab Spring", spread all over the country in April of the same year. While the rebellion against the Assad regime turned into a civil conflict, the Kurds and their people who chose the "3rd Way" achieved significant gains in this process. The Kurds and their people were neither on the side of the paramilitary groups backed by the USA and European states, nor on the side of Russia and the Assad regime, which insisted on the status quo; Kurds and their people led the Rojava Revolution, also called the "Women's Revolution". The system built during the revolution became a breathing tube for the people in the regions where civil war continued.

 

TEV-DEM AND MGRK FOUNDATION

 

In the early periods when the civil war broke out, the Assad regime and opposition structures made intense efforts to get the Kurds to fight on their side; however, both sides responded to the Kurds' demands for rights and freedom "after the solution." The Kurds, who remained neutral against this, founded the Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM) and the Western Kurdistan People's Assembly (MGRK).

 

KURDISH UNION

 

The Kurds' quest for unity grew stronger over time. The Rojava Kurdistan People's Council, which includes the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the Syrian Kurds National Front (ENKS) and 16 political parties, convened in the city of Hewlêr in the Federated Kurdistan Region on October 26, 2011. As a result of the meeting, both parliaments decided to act together and to declare the Kurdish Supreme Council on July 25, 2012. After this step, which had a very important role in the unity of the Kurds, and the magnificent march of hundreds of thousands of people on the streets in the cities of Northern and Eastern Syria on July 29, 2012, the Kurdish Supreme Council was accepted as the common will of the Kurdish people. Over time, ENKS began to act together with both the international powers in the region and Turkey, and began to act against Kurdish gains; however, the Supreme Council created three committees named "Diplomacy", "Social Service" and "Defence".

 

JULY 19 AND THE REVOLUTION

 

On July 18, 2012, a meeting was held in Damascus, the capital of Syria, with the participation of heads of all influential institutions of the regime. A huge explosion occurred during the meeting, and most of the high officials of the regime lost their lives in the explosion. On the evening of the same day, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) captured the areas around Manbij, Jarablus, Kobanê and Aleppo. Under the leadership of TEV-DEM, regime forces were removed from the city in Kobanê on July 19. After Kobanê, the people seized the governments in Afrin, Serêkaniyê, Dirbêsiyê, Amûdê, Dêrik, Girkêlegê, Tirbêspiyê and Tiltemîr. On the same day, Kurds declared the first canton in Kobanê with the motto "Democratic Syria, Autonomous Rojava". July 19 was accepted as the starting day of the revolution. After Kobanê, new cantos were announced in Afrin and Qamishlo. In parallel with the cantonal declarations, local defense unions were formed. Then, on March 12, 2004, the establishment of the People's Defense Units (YPG) and the Women's Defense Units (YPJ) were announced in the city of Qamishlo, where the Baath regime committed a mass murder.

 

PUBLIC HOUSES AND SDF

 

In the same year, community houses were established in cities, towns and villages. Community centers became centers of social change and transformation, as well as centers where meetings and trainings on autonomy were held. Again, small defense groups were formed against possible threats. The development of community centers also made a great contribution to the Autonomous Administration system. After a while, public houses became large organized communes. Thousands of communes were established in villages and neighborhoods through these houses. Youth and women's communes were organized in a unique way. Services in justice, education, defense, health, economy and other fields were provided through these houses. Over time, communes became the infrastructure of the assemblies established in districts and provinces. While the autonomous system continues to be built step by step, the military forces of all peoples and faiths, led by the Kurds, came together under the umbrella of the Democratic Syrian Forces (QSD).

 

CULTURE AND EDUCATION

 

"Nuri Dersimi Monitoring Institution" was established in many cities and education cycles and studies on education in the mother tongue were carried out within the scope of the education leg of the system construction. The Kurdish Language Association (SZK), which was established at the beginning of the revolution process, accelerated its Kurdish education activities and opened nearly 100 schools. In the first stage, nearly a thousand people were trained to provide education in schools. Culture and art centers were opened to the public in Qamishlo, Dêrik, Amûdê, Afrin, Kobanê and many other cities. Activities in many areas were carried out in these centers.

 

COMMITTEES WERE ESTABLISHED

 

The Social Service Committee affiliated to the Supreme Council and the "Service and Peace Committees" were established in each council. Additionally, the "Justice Committee" was established. The committees established to solve many social problems still continue their work. The Peace and Justice Committee was established in conjunction with the Kurdish Supreme Council. Apart from this, the "Social Justice Branch" was established under the Mesopotamia Social Science Academy as of April 4, 2013, in order to establish the legal system.

 

THE COUNCIL OF WOMEN

 

Since the beginning of the revolution, important work has been done in the fields of women and youth. "Yekitiya Star", which included women who led the revolution, formed women's councils and women's houses. Priority was given to women's representation in public assemblies, and women's science-education centers and women's academies were established in many cities. While all administrations were formed through the co-chairmanship system, women's institutions also took an active role in education, family, politics, economy and public order.

 

HEALTH AND ECONOMY

 

The Kurdish Supreme Council also established committees in the field of health, where problems were experienced due to the embargo. The Kurdish Red Crescent (Heyvâ Sor) was another organization established. The Northern and Eastern Syria Economic Development Corporation was established in 2013 to break the embargo, build the system and solve the problems. This institution, which wants to advance its economy based on the people, focused on cooperative efforts, starting from Kobanê and Dêrik.

 

AUTONOMOUS ADMINISTRATION

 

At the end of 2013, the Autonomous Administration system was established and the Social Contract was prepared. In the Social Contract, Kurdish, Arabic and Assyrian languages were accepted as official languages. According to the agreement, the representation rate of women in institutions was determined as at least 40 percent and it was stated that different components of the region should take their place in the Autonomous Administration system. Autonomous Management system; It was established on three pillars: the Legislative Assembly, the Executive Assembly and the Supreme Court.

 

After the agreement, the region was divided into cantons and the Cizre Canton Legislative Council was established. In addition, the Executive Council of Cizre Canton Democratic Autonomous Administration announced its official establishment on January 21, 2014. Ekrem Hiso was elected as the first president of the Executive Council. The same steps were taken in Kobanê and Afrin cantons on January 27 and 29. Due to the geographical division among of the 3 cantons, there was no direct relationship among of the autonomous administrations of the 3 cantons, although coordination existed for all three administrations. In addition, structures were created within the Autonomous Administrations according to the needs of each canton. Through these institutions, education, health, economy, defense, culture, women, youth and service systems were established.

 

The Autonomous Administration Coordination of 3 cantons transformed into Northern Syria Democratic Federalism in 2016. In the same year, the Legislative Council of Cizre Canton approved the co-presidency system in the departments and institutions affiliated with the Autonomous Administration in March. The parliament also approved increasing women's representation from 40 percent to 50 percent. Expanding the areas of the Autonomous Administration after 2015 and clearing the Raqqa, Girê Spî and Manbij areas from Turkey and the forces in control enabled the administration to take another step. The Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria was declared on September 6, 2018.

 

The Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria consists of 3 regions (Cizre, Euphrates and Afrin). Each canton has executive and legislative councils. Each legislature enacts laws relevant to its district. The laws passed by the General Assembly of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria are implemented in all regions of Northern and Eastern Syria.

 

MA / Emrullah Acar