Syrian Kurdistan, YPG Spokesman Can: We are Working with the Coalition against ISIS

"The global imperialist powers interests to defeat ISIS and prevent the fall of Kobane 
overcome the worry and interests of the Turkish elite and the International Coalition 
against ISIS starting its intervention in coordination with the Kurdish People?s 
Protection Units (YPG). (Editor note, I.S.)" ------ In an exclusive interview with the 
daily Radikal, Kurdish People?s Protection Units (YPG) Spokesperson Polat Can says they 
are officially working with the, and their representative is in the Joint Operation 
Command Center. ---- Mutlu Civiroglu @mutludc -------- Mr. Polat Can, you have been 
leading a fierce struggle against ISIS in Kobane for almost month. The world is watching 
Kobane. What is the situation there? ---- In the morning, the Kobane resistance will be on 
its 30th day and a new, long-winded process will start. Everyone knows that the resistance 
that YPG put up against ISIS is unprecedented by the forces in the region, especially in 
comparison to the Iraqi army. Cities ten times the size of Kobane surrendered to ISIS in 
a few days and those cities were not even besieged with considerable force. However, when 
they started attacking Kobane, they gathered their forces from around the region, from 
places including Minbij, Raqqah, Jarabulus, and Tal Hamis. What I mean by considerable 
force is tanks, cannons, heavy artillery and thugs whose numbers were in the tens of 
thousands. They wanted to capture Kobane within a week, but they did not succeed. Then, 
they wanted to say their Eid prayers in Kobane, and they could not do that either.

Since last week, they seized some streets in East Kobane, and now they want to capture the 
whole city, but they can?t advance. As they try to make their way, they sustain 
considerable losses. Especially within the last few days, both YPG attacks and the air 
strikes against ISIS terror led by international coalition forces have increased. They 
sustained major losses, many of their bodies and weapons passed into the hands of the YPG.

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Mutlu Civiroglu and Polat Can
So, can we say that Kobane is relatively safe from danger?

No, saying this would be major heedlessness. Because ISIS still controls a large portion 
of Kobane. In addition, all of the villages in Kobane are occupied by ISIS. The 
resistance we started both within and around Kobane is ongoing. ISIS continues to receive 
renewed assistance. This war is a matter of life and death for us in every way. Thus, it 
is not yet possible to say that there is no danger.

You are saying that ISIS consists of tens of thousands of people and constantly renewed 
support. Your numbers are very small in comparison. Do you receive any kind of support?

Kobane has been under an embargo for the last year and a half. None of the major forces 
from other cantons have been able to reach Kobane. Kobane is resisting with its own 
efforts. Some Kurdish youth have been able to reach Kobane from the north of Kurdistan, 
especially through Suru?. Some arrived Kobane in small groups from the cantons of Afrin 
and Jazira. In addition, some of the youth from Kobane who were living abroad came to 
Kobane to protect their city. Some of the small groups from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) are 
here under the name of ?The Volcano of Euphrates.? This is all of our power and support. 
Unfortunately, we did not receive any additional military support, neither from the South, 
nor from other places.

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What can you tell us about the air strikes by the coalition led by the United States?

For the last few days, the air strikes have been numerous and effective. We can clearly 
state that, had these attacks started a couple weeks ago, ISIS would not have been able to 
enter Kobane at all. ISIS would have been defeated 10-15 kilometers away from the city, 
and the city would not have turned into a war zone.

Alright, why did effective air strikes start one week before, and not two? Or, to ask in 
another way; What happened over the course of the last week that the strikes intensified?

The YPG?s relationship with the coalition, then, had just started recently. I will be 
blunt; some regional powers, especially Turkey was a serious obstacle. They made every 
effort to prevent any help from reaching us and to prevent the air strikes. At first, 
coalition jets could get no closer than 10 kilometers to the Turkish border, because 
Turkey would not allow it. Of course, there were other problems as well such as logistics 
and distance. The coalition had not yet made a serious decision to help the YPG.

Moreover, everyone thought that Kobane would fall in a week or two and be forgotten 
easily, but that did not happen. Kurds all around the world and their friends have risen 
up, supported by calls by world-famous intellectuals, and the resultant public opinion. 
This situation has affected shift on some countries? policies towards us and created 
pressure for more effective and intensified air strikes and assistance for the YPG.

What sort of help? There are calls to provide arms to the YPG, has any such assistance 
been provided?

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Up until now, we really can?t speak of the provision of arms to Kobane. The YPG is trying 
to bring certain arms which we require to Kobane through certain means. Because we are in 
serious need of arms. Not only for Kobane, but also for Jazira and Afrin. It?s important 
that we have fighters that come and fight, but it?s equally important that there be arms 
for them to use. It?s very difficult to fight using light weaponry against ISIS, who 
possess heavy weaponry. In the current situation, under such circumstances, we are 
throwing ourselves heroically in a fight against a force utilizing the latest weapons 
technology.

You mentioned the coalition?s being late. What sort of relationship does the YPG have with 
the US and other countries in the coalition? Can you elaborate on this?

Long before the Kobane resistance, we had relations with many countries including the USA. 
When Kobane was attacked, our relationship became more substantial and our exchange of 
ideas was realized in practice. In a way, urgent situation on the ground expedited some 
things. True partnership comes to realization when the situation is difficult and parties 
support each other.

Can we say there is an official relation between the YPG and the coalition?

Yes, we are acting in concert with international coalition forces. We are in direct 
contact with them, in terms of intelligence, on a military level, and in terms of air strikes.

I guess the coordinates for the airstrikes are coming from you then?

Yes. One of our special units in Kobane gives us coordinates, and the YPG transmits these 
coordinates to coalition forces, and then air strikes are directly realized. I would also 
like to mention that we also benefitted from the assistance of certain Kurdish factions, 
and this assistance is ongoing.

Some media outlets reported that these airstrikes are carried out through peshmergas?

No. We have a direct relation with the coalition without any intermediaries. YPG 
representative is physically ready in the joint operation command center and transmits the 
coordinates. Indeed, no airstrikes would be possible militarily without YPG taking part in 
the process because the clashes are ongoing and the situation on the ground changes rapidly.

But, I would like to acknowledge efforts of some Kurdish parties and individuals in 
regard, and their assistance for the YPG is still onging.

For a while, news agencies from around the world have been discussing the fall of Kobane. 
In fact, last week, some of them announced that the city fell. However, now the American 
press has started to applaud the resistance by the YPG, comparing it to the famous Alamo 
resistance. What is your take on American and other peoples? support for Kobane?

We have 5-6 American fighters in YPG. One of them was wounded during combat. The fact that 
they are fighting for us is making us proud. There are fighters from other peoples as 
well. We are thankful for all the people who have been appealing to their politicians on 
our behalf to get their attention, to help us.

Especially some European armies and their commanders are working vigorously towards 
providing help to the YPG. Yes, right now YPG is fighting against ISIS, but in reality 
this fight belongs to the whole world; the world should fight ISIS. The fighters of ISIS 
are from 81 different countries which will be responsible for the terror that ISIS will 
unleash on us. Therefore, everyone should take responsibility. If Kobane falls, a 
possibility we never consider, ISIS will attack many other territories motivated with the 
fervent of so-called conquest. Hence, the victory of Kobane resistance means a victory for 
Kurdistan, coalition forces, USA and for every human being with a conscience.

The global public was first introduced to the YPG during the Sinjar Massacres against 
Yezidi Kurds. Now, the whole world is talking about the outstanding resistance of the YPG 
in Kobane. Can we consider the YPG as one of the main actors in the war against ISIS?

Kurds are the strongest people fighting on earth today, be it YPG or the Peshmergas, it is 
the Kurds! There is of course a surprising element to this: a relatively small number of 
young people, equipped with light arms, stage an unprecedented resistance against heavy 
weaponry. I state this cut and dried; if there was any army of even 500 thousand soldiers 
in our place, they wouldn?t be able to resist, even for one week. We don?t possess one 
thousandth of the resources and arms that those who lost to ISIS in Mosul, Tikrit and 
Anbar had. But we have a will and we have faith, and we protect our lands. This is why the 
coalition forces must consider YPG as one of the main actors in this war. Many high 
ranking officials of the coalition forces have congratulated us and expressed their 
admiration for our struggle.

Finally, is there anything else you would like to say to the whole world which has been 
watching you with admiration?

We respectfully salute all the peoples of the world who support the YPG, Kobane and the 
Kurds. We promise to millions of Kurds and the friends of the Kurds who can?t sleep, whose 
hearts beat for us this: We will fight until the last person falls, until our last bullet, 
our last drop of blood, and we will win this fight. We will embellish this resistance 
worthy of the Kurdish people with victory and dedicate it to first to the proud Kurdish 
people and to all the peoples of the world. The resistance against Nazis in Stalingrd and 
in Alamo is what is repeating in Kobane. We invite everyone to support Kobane, the YPG and 
Kurdistan until the day of victory.

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If you want my participation to a show, interview me or get a quote on Kobane and other 
Kurdish related issues, please contact me at mciviroglu@gmail.com

You can follow me on Twitter for latest updates from Kobanehttps://twitter.com/mutludc

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Special Thanks to Cagla O, Dilek U and Cihan T for translating this interview into English 
in such a short period of time.