JINHA

AMED – The Kobanê Solidarity Delegation formed by Syriza and other left party members visited Amed (Diyarbakır) co-mayor GültanKışanak.

The delegation has split into three, with one group visiting Kobanê, one Diyarbakır and one Gaziantep.GültanKışanak thanked the Diyarbakır delegation, made up of members of the Syria youth group, other left parties, teachers and pharmacists, for their sensitivity and solidarity with the tragedy in Kobanê.

"The resistance against fascism in Greece is for us the same as the resistance against ISIS in Kobanê," said the co-mayor, a member of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) allied with the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

"Kobanê has been a vehicle for solidarity between people. The resistance there was not just one people's defense of themselves and their territory. It was resistance in the name of human values, in the name of democracy," Gültan explained.

European Parliament member GeorgiosKaratsioubanis said the group had led a campaign to gather aid, including medicine and foodstuffs, and that solidarity organizations in Greece and Europe were currently holding meetings on the subject.

But the delegation's goal, said Georgios, was not just to contribute materially to Kobanê solidarity but also to build stronger lines of communication in the region.

"Our goal is to ensure closeness between the Kurds and Greeks, to increase communication and dialogue. There may be a sea between us, but we have a shared culture. And besides that, we are engaged in the same struggle against fascism and capitalism."

The two sides exchanged gifts, with the group presenting a sign reading "solidarity" and the co-mayor presenting a plaque to the delegation.

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