On September 25, Kurdish people and revolutionists from Turkey came to Pirsus (Suruç) from Istanbul, and kept guard in Eğrice (Bêdhê) which is a village just at the Turkey-Syria border. On September 26, in order to support Kobanê people and act with solidarity, they passed through the mined territory and entered into Kobanê that is surrounded by IS (Islamic State) groups who augmented their attacks towards this city. The people who wanted to return to Turkey after their visit in Kobanê, found the Turkish police and military against them. The police did not accept the people to enter into Turkey from the point they had passed to Syria, and told them that they have to walk to the border gate at Yumurtalık Village which is 20 kilometers away. Hence the people started their walk. The police attacked them with gase bombs when they were in the mined territory, and furthermore, when the people arrived at military control point in Yumurtalık Village they again came across with police attack. The photographs of the reporter of sendika.org, Murat Bay tell us what happened in Pirsus (Suruç) and Kobanê.
We finally arrived at Pirsus (Suruç) after passing through many police control points from Istanbul to Pirsus (Suruç). The people in Pirsus welcomed us with enthusiasm.
We took our way to Eğrice (Bêdhê) Village at the Turkey-Syria border. Those we left behind started to dance the "halay"...
The people of Kurdistan and Turkey are walking together with the slogan "Bijî berxwedana Kobanê".
On the large territory that lies along with the border, there are three watch points. Protestors are walking their watch points.
We watch the villages across us where our relatives live.
For the basic needs we were organized quickly. We have kept the values that we have learned in Gezi alive...
In this dry lands that the sun has baked for months, the wind narrowed our field of vision, and the dust that stuck our throats made it diffucult to breath. We did not leave our watch points.
Military territories where it is claimed that the soldiers have shoot-to-kill order if somebody gets closer.
For a short period of time I returned to Pirsus town center. Although all the AFAD (Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Precidency) tents are almost empty, most of the refugees have settled down in the center of the town.
Most of the refugees are guested in the local people's houses by the help of Pirsus municipality. And the rest of them are settled in large places in the town such as municipality cultural center or wedding saloons. Food and health needs are provided by voluntary organizations.
Pirsus Municipality's food service at the cultural center. And Kobanê people watching the war on the screen minute-by-minute.
Night watch. It became cold suddenly, tea at the wood fire and dead silence. We listen the noises of the clashes coming from a few kilometers away. Shootings from field guns and other heavy weapons had continued till the morning.
IS tank destroyed by YPG guerillas. Slogans start again "Bijî berxwedana Kobanê".
When we got closer to the border, we met with Kurdish yellings of Kobanê refugee mothers. When I saw mothers with their hands lie up to the sky, I remembered Roboski and Reyhanli. Kurdish yellings are heard "Erdogan destroyed our villages, our houses, he fired our hearts, he made us refugees..."
When we heard that the people are in a bad situation at the border, we moved towards the border quickly. Now there is anger in the eyes of those who watched Kobanê being attacked by IS all night. It was not possible to keep them within bounds, all of a sudden the borders are destroyed. Passing the Turkey-Syrian border...
The masses are walking to Kobanê passing through the mined territory. Kobanê people provide security for us.
Kobanê people welcomed us with a great enthusiasm. We experienced that great feeling of being welcomed by the people with open arms. Children, old people... It was telling us about the existence of hope and resistance survived in the middle of a cruel war.
The "halay" of solidarity of peoples.
YPG guerillas who greet us in the entrance of Kobanê.
The mother embraces the YPG guerilla who figts with one hand against IS. She smells the guerilla as if he is her real son.
Kobanê city center became a demonstratin area, a resistance square. All shops open their doors and they say that everything is free for us.
YPG guerillas who have fighted day and nigt with a great effort against IS groups that attack violently.
The children of war... My eyes catch the "little prens" picture on the shirt of a child. She is carrying a kalashnikov, but her eyes are shining, she is still a child. Maybe in the same age with Berkin. She carries much more than her life in her shoulders. She is brave and confident. I return and look at her again, she is still a child...
In the way back, we are now refugees. While walking in the middle of mined territory, despite the Turkish soldiers attacking by throwing tear gases beyond the border, we felt lucky that nobody has stepped over a mine. However, another attack was waiting for us at the Yumurtalık border gate, where we walked for kilometers under the noises of tank and field gun shootings in order to reach.
Although we think that we have left all the things we have lived behind, the immigration is still continuing. People live all these torment and cruelty again and again everyday.
Sendika.Org/Murat Bay
