JINHA

MÊRDÎN – As people in the town of Nusaybin resist the Turkish state’s violent state of martial law, the women of Nusaybin have declared the founding of the YPS Jin, or Women’s Civil Defense Forces.

For months, Turkish state forces have launched repeated assaults on the town of Nusaybin, in Mardin province. Women have now founded a women’s self-defense force. They have named their unit of the YPS Jin (Women’s Civil Defense Forces) the “Martyr Ayten Bagok Unit.”

“With the AKP gang’s fascist attacks, it is clear the level of the politics of denial, extermination and assimilation being waged against the Kurdish people. Their policies towards the Kurdish people are war and genocide,” said YPS Jin member Leyla Nisebin, reading the founding statement of the unit. She said that as those in power know, Kurdish women and youth do not accept the colonial order being forced on them and are now seeking their rights by forming bases of resistance.

Leyla noted that those targeted most intensely in the attacks were women and children.

“Kurdish women and children are not unprotected; they defend themselves,” said Leyla. “A great struggle will be waged against the mindset of the ruling power. They are attempting to annihilate Kurdish women in particular. And in the end, they will burn in the fire they have started.

“We, as Kurdish women, are announcing our units, based on the platform of the YPS [Civil Defense Forces], against colonialism, the ruling power and violence against women,” said Leyla. “We make it known that the cries of mothers and children will not remain unanswered. We will maintain our legitimate war of defense until all of our people live freely and Kurdish women have a free future.”

The women ended the announcement with slogans, including “long live the leader Apo” (referring to jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan).

(ekip/fk/cm)