NEWS CENTRE - The Transnational Democratic Platform of Women drew attention to the attacks on Rojava and the direct link between this process and the social struggles in Iran, calling on the people to stand in solidarity against the re-establishment of an authoritarian and security-oriented regime.

 

In a statement addressed to the Middle Eastern public, the Transnational Democratic Platform of Women warned about current developments in the region, the weakening of popular projects in Rojava, and the direct link between this process and the situation in Iran and the future of social movements. The statement emphasised the necessity of solidarity and historical responsibility against the reproduction of an authoritarian and security-oriented regime in the Middle East.

 

The statement included the following remarks:

 

“The Middle East once again stands on the brink of a historic restructuring; however, this restructuring is not based on the will of the people, but rather on security agreements, instability engineering and the reproduction of the old order, all shaped behind closed doors. What is happening today in Syria, Rojava, Iran, Iraq and Palestine are interconnected links in a single process: the suppression of popular movements, the weakening of alternative projects, and the replacement of emancipatory politics with bargaining between states and power blocs.

 

The region's historical experience – from the post-world war divisions to Sykes–Picot, from the liquidation of the Kurdistan Republic after the withdrawal of the Soviet Union to the present day – has repeatedly shown that when peoples rely on their own strength, they are attempted to be sidelined by the promises, threats or betrayals of the great powers. Rojava is no exception to this rule. The attack, which took place at a symbolic moment on the anniversary of Kobanê's liberation, carries a clear message: any project that could turn the coexistence of peoples, gender equality, and grassroots self-governance into reality is dangerous to the dominant order.

 

Peace under the sword

 

In this context, the agreement recently reached between the QSD and the Syrian government cannot be viewed merely as a “withdrawal” or a “diplomatic victory”. This agreement is the product of peace made under the sword, within an unequal balance of power; it is an extremely fragile peace, achieved under the direct supervision and support of Turkey, where dozens of Muslim Brotherhood and ISIS-affiliated groups feel no obligation to any legal order. Past experience has shown that such agreements, which do not rely on popular support and lack genuine international backing, buy time rather than bring stability; this time is often used against the people.

 

The destructive role of states

 

The destructive role of reactionary states in the region in this process cannot be denied. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other conservative Arab states have not only contributed to the reproduction of fundamentalism through money, ideology and media over the past decades, but are also actively participating in weakening the line of reconciliation between peoples by accompanying “top-down stability” projects today. Turkey, under the Muslim Brotherhood, is attempting to reactivate ethnic and sectarian fault lines by simultaneously using the army, proxy forces and extensive media propaganda; these are precisely the tools that democratic confederalism has been trying to neutralise for years.

 

Abdullah Öcalan’s message and the attacks

 

In response to this process, Abdullah Öcalan’s peace message, published in February 2025, emphasises reconciliation between peoples, peaceful coexistence and equal participation of all in the political future, representing a conscious attempt to break the logic of perpetual war. It is no coincidence that new attacks on Aleppo and subsequently Rojava began immediately after this message. This synchronisation demonstrates that the target is not merely a region, but the neutralisation of an intellectual and political horizon.

 

Negotiations in Iran

 

The connection between this situation and Iran is direct and of vital importance. The “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” movement has demonstrated that Iranian society has the capacity to form a broad common voice and overcome fear. However, bloody repression, the lack of permanent organisation, and the absence of a clear positive horizon have allowed the regime and the capitalist system to wear down the protest and drive it into despair. Today, just as politics in Syria has been reduced to top-down agreements, the fate of the Iranian people is being determined on the margins of regional and international negotiations.

 

At this point, the role of global powers must also be clearly articulated. The US and Europe, preferring “crisis management” to a fundamental solution to the crisis, have contributed to the weakening of popular projects through their silence or de facto cooperation. As Julian Assange's revelations have shown, wars have turned into attrition wars with no winners; the beneficiaries of these wars are the military-industrial complex and the capitalist order, while the people pay the price.

 

The only alternative is the power of the people

 

We believe that the future of the Middle East will not be built through authoritarian states, fundamentalist forces, or backroom deals. In practice – albeit limited and at great cost – the only alternative that has proven itself is organised popular power, the coexistence of peoples, and conscious resistance. This experience has been lived in Rojava and began in Iran with “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî”.

 

The regional public must understand that weakening Rojava means weakening hope in Iran; extinguishing the line of reconciliation between peoples paves the way for new wars; and replacing popular politics with power bargaining only leads to the reproduction of the crisis. In response to this process, providing conscious, critical and active support to popular movements is not a moral choice but a historical necessity.

 

We warn that if these alternative projects are left alone today, tomorrow there will be no basis for resistance against capitalist savagery and regional authoritarianism. However, if the bonds between popular movements stretching from Rojava to Iran and beyond are strengthened, it is still possible to open up a more humane and just horizon from within this dangerous situation.

 

This statement is a call for vigilance, solidarity and historical responsibility before the fate of the peoples is once again determined behind closed doors.