Syria

'Defending Afrin means defending the women's revolution'

The statement below, 鈥淢essage from the Women of Afrin to the Women of the World鈥, was released on February 3 by Kongreya Star Efrin, a confederation of women鈥檚 organisatons in Afrin (Efrin in Kurdish).

Syria: Behind the great powers鈥 games in Afrin

On January 20, Turkey launched an invasion of Afrin, one of the three cantons that make up the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria (also known as Rojava), the site of a profound, Kurdish-led social revolution based on multi-ethnic participatory democracy and women鈥檚 liberation.

The invasion has killed dozens of civilians in an area that has welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria鈥檚 conflict. Turkey鈥檚 actions would be impossible without at least passive acceptance from several great powers active in Syria. Cihad Hammy looks at the motivations for various major players.

For the sake of humanity, we must defend the Rojava Revolution

The dark clouds of 21st-century fascism are once again hanging over the heads of the people of northern Syria. As if the inhabitants of the region often referred to as Rojava haven鈥檛 suffered enough over the course of the past 7 years of war, the Turkish state has come to the conclusion that the time is ripe to pick up the fallen, bloodied sword from the corpse that is Islamic State.

Together with Salafist mercenaries carrying flags of the Syrian 鈥榬ebels鈥 鈥 one of the many components of what at one historical juncture seemingly all so long ago was a cohesive 鈥楩ree Syrian Army鈥 鈥 Erdogan鈥檚 regime vows a 鈥榮wift operation鈥 to destroy 鈥榯errorism鈥 in Afrin.

Turkey: Left-wing HDP opposition calls for support for Rojava

The left-wing Peoples鈥 Democratic Party (HDP) has condemned Turkey鈥檚 invasion of the Afrin region in northern Syria (known as Rojava in Kurdish) in collaboration with mostly jihadi Syrian militias.

The HDP, with strong roots in Turkey鈥檚 Kurdish minority, has itself faced worsening repression from the regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Australians say 'Stop Turkey's war on Afrin and Rojava' 鈥 add your name to the sign-on statement

As concerned Australians, we condemn Turkey鈥檚 invasion of the mainly Kurdish canton of Afrin in northern Syria, and demand that the Australian Government do all in its power to protest and stop Turkey鈥檚 brazen criminal aggression.

Afrin invasion: Turkey attacks northern Syria鈥檚 democratic revolution 鈥 with Russian and US approval

Three years after Kurdish-led forces liberated the northern Syrian city of Kobane from ISIS 鈥 after a months-long siege that captured the world鈥檚 imagination 鈥 the democratic, multi-ethnic and feminist revolution in Syria鈥檚 north is facing a new assault.

'Turkey, hands off Afrin, stop the attacks': Australian socialists

After receiving approval from Russia, the Turkish state has launched an air strike with 69 jets, bombing the Afrin centre and Cindir锚s锚, Reco, Shera, Sh锚rawa and Mabeta districts in northern Syria, on January 20.

'Don't let Afrin become another Kobane', say human rights activists, academics in open letter

Academics and international human rights activists launched a petition calling upon world powers to act against Turkish aggression against Afrin, .

Northern Syrian movements condemn Turkish invasion

The umbrella organisation of political and social movements in northern Syria, Movement for Democratic Society (TEV-DEM), released a statement on recent attacks and threats by the Turkish state.

Turkey has attacked the Afrin district in northern Syria, which is part of the Northern Syria Democratic Federation that is seeking to create a new revolutionary system of 鈥渄emocratic confederalism鈥.

Eyewitness to northern Syria鈥檚 feminist, democratic revolution

Dutch journalist Frederike Geerdink has just spent a year with Kurdish forces in northern Syria observing the democratic and feminist revolution unfolding in the region. During her recent visit to Australia, she spoke to about her experience. Below is an edited and abridged transcript of the interview.

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Raqqa liberated: 鈥榃e dedicate this to all women鈥

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) finally liberated Raqqa, in northern Syria, from ISIS occupation on October 17, after a battle of 135 days. In 2014, ISIS declared Raqqa its capital, which makes its defeat a decisive event.

The SDF is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious armed force made up of dozens of militias that is committed to the political project of 鈥渄emocratic confederalism鈥, the participatory democratic project associated with the Kurdish-led Rojava Revolution.

Raqqa largely liberated, Rojava revolution holds commune elections

The flags of the Women鈥檚 Protection Units (YPJ) and Shengal Women's Units (YJS) were planted in the city centre of Raqqa, which had been the capital city of ISIS, on September 14.