Kobanê canton administrators and peshmerga commanders have held a joint press conference in Kobanê, giving a message of national unity.

The peshmerga commanders, who reached Kobanê yesterday evening on the 47th day of ISIS attacks, held a joint press conference with the administrators of the Kobanê canton. The press conference was attended by the Kobanê Canton Self-Defence Minister, İsmet Şêx Hesen, TEV-DEM Kobanê Executive Committee member Ehmed Şêxo, the commander of the 150-strong peshmerga force, Liwa Ebdulqahir, and other peshmerga commanders Eqîd Tofiq, Ehmed Gerdî, Amil Deham as well as many peshmerga and YPG fighters.

Speaking first, Kobanê Canton Self-Defence Minister İsmet Şêx Hesen said: “I first welcome all the peshmergas coming to Kobanê from South Kurdistan. Today is a historic day. It is the first time that the people from South Kurdistan and from Rojava come together in Rojava. I hope we will form a national army that will be of benefit to all the peoples of Kurdistan”.

Speaking next, peshmerga commander Ehmed Gerdî said: “We have brought the greetings of the people of South Kurdistan and the president of South Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani. We came here on the decision of the South Kurdistan parliament. We are ready to defend without differentiating any part of Kurdistan, and we are happy that we will fight side by side with you. We wil defend the sacred Kobanê land against the terrorists”.

TEV-DEM Kobanê Executive Committee member, Ehmed Şêxo, also made a speech at the press conference, saying: “This step taken here is a very important step for our national unity and our future. Today we take a step of unity here in Kobanê”. Stressing that a new page must be opened for unity, Şêxo continued: “This unity was built on our blood. And let us state that this unity is well grounded and will never be destroyed”.

Following the press conference peshmerga commanders commented on their being in Kobanê for Fırat News. Liwa Ebdulqahir, the general commander of the 150-strong peshmerga force, said it was the enemies of the Kurdish people that brought them together and added: “We first thank our friends for this kind welcoe. None of the parts of Kurdistan is different to us. Today it is our enemies that brought us together. We are ready to do whatever we can. We are ready to sacrifice our lives for Kobanê. We, the Kurdish people are in unity and will remain in unity”.

Peshmerga commander Eqîd Tofiq stressed that today is a historic day in which Kurdistan gets unified, while another peshmerga commander, Amil Deham, said: “I believe that we will throw out ISIS from Kobanê together with the YPG, and the people of Kobanê will return to their houses”.

FIRAT NEWS