Rojda Serhad - Evin Nejdet /JINHA

QAMIŞLO - The Baath regime massacred 36 Kurds on March 12, 2014 in Qamişlo (Al-Qamishli) in response to establishment of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Rojava. After the massacre, a resistance began in all cities of Kurdistan. Necah Gulo is one of the hundreds of women who are witness of the massacre. Necah said, "We thougth that the Kurdish problem would have been solved with armed struggle in North and East Kurdistan. The Kurdish problem would have been solved on the negotiating table in Rojava. But we met the regime's real face with Qamişlo massacre.

A massacre had been launched against Kurds on March 11, 2014. Hundreds Kurdish people from Dêrika Hemko, Tirbespiyê, Serêkaniyê and Amûdê cities came to Qamişlo to watch a football match between Kurdish team named Cihad and Arap team named Fituve. The Kurds gathered in Municipal Stadium. Security forces frisked and inspected the Kurdish fans but not Arap fans. Arap fans entered to stadium with weapons and knives. Arap fans came from Dêrezor, told the Kurdish fans shooted slogan such as, "You can expect a second Halabja." and they brandished portraits of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Tensions between the groups came to a head. Arap fans attacked Kurdish fans with knives and weapons. Some Kurds tried to go out to protect themselves. However, the police closed the stadium doors on them. Military units came to the town to stop the attacks. However, they opened fire on the people. The first day of massacre, eight Kurds had been killed.

Eight people were declared as "martyr". On March 12, thousands of people gathered in Qamişlo to retrieve the dead bodies. They marched towards the center of the city. However, the solgiers of regime attacked the people once more again. On March 13, people from Amûdê, Serêkaniyê, Tirbespiyê, Dêrik, Efrîn, Dirbêsiyê and Qamişlo rioted against the regime. The regime forces attacked on the Kurds who resisted. 36 people were killed, more than 100 people were wounded and thousands of people were tortured in the attacks. Despite all these losses, the resistance of Rojava continued until March 21.

After the massacre which was carried out by Baat regime in response to establishment of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the Kurds had drawn a lesson from this massacre and had organized themselves better. They began to form their self-defense. So they made sure the Baath regime's plan came to nothing and in the process laid the foundation for West Kurdistan revolution.

Necah said, "A new period was begun for the Kurds after Qamişlo massacre. Kurds have faced many massacres in the history, but they never surrender. The Halabja Massacre was a genocidal massacre against the Kurdish people that took place on March 16, 1988. Saddam regime attacked the Kurds in Halabja, Kurdish city in Southern Kurdistan with largest chemical weapons. 5000 people were killed. Meanwhile, thousands of Kurds were killed Enfal. We mustn't forget the Gazi massacre and Maraş massacre. They are carrying out the massacre against the Kurds now, too. They have isolated our leadership (refer to Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the PKK). They have carried out a massacre against our people. The Kurds faced the massacres in Rojava, Heseke and Tıl Temir. Although a ceasefire was declared in Syria, the attacks have continued in Grê Spî with Turkey's support. Erdoğan dreamed that Serekani and Kobanê would fall. However, Serekani and Kobanê have been liberated.

Necah said,"Our people must raise the resistance. The people those who left their homes, must come back. Many regimes carried out massacre against us. However, we never surrender. They cannot annihilate us. We will build free life by resisting."

(dk/gd)