Konstantinos Tsakalidis

Freelance Photographer
 
Fleeing Rojava
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece, Europe
Nationality: Greek
Biography: Konstantinos Tsakalidis was born in 1986 in Serres, Greece. He graduated from the Department of Informatics of Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki. He has attended the seminars cycle of Photographic Centre . He is co-founder and... MORE
Public Story
Fleeing Rojava
Copyright Konstantinos Tsakalidis 2024
Updated Dec 2014
Location Suruc, Turkey
Topics border, documentary, fled, fleeing, Immigration, isis, Kurdish, Kurdistan, Kurds, migration, mursitpinar, Photojournalism, refugees, Rojava, suruc, Syria, syrian, Turkey, War

Since ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) took the second largest city of Iraq, Mosul on June 10, 2014 and confiscating heavy weapons, quickly turned its attention to the West (Syrian) Kurdistan (Rojava) of Northern Syria. An area consisting of three autonomous cantons Cizire, Kobane and Efrin wherein the inhabitants, after their independence from Syria on January 2014, they have managed to implement a democratic self-government, based on equality and justice for all people, regardless of ethnicity, religion and gender. Kurds, Assyrians, Christian Armenians, and Arabs live together in harmony and equal representation in the local councils of municipalities and women with not covered face with equal participation in public affairs and the political and social life organization as that of men.

ISIS has dramatically increased their attacks against the self-governing regions of Rojava, especially in the administration center of Kobane (known as Ayn al-Arab in Arabic), the last stronghold of the Kurds in northern Syria, which besieges from 16 September. Until recently the canton of Kobane hosted thousands of people displaced due to the civil war from various regions of Syria as it was considered safer region. By the beginning of their invasion, the jihadists of Islamic State succeeded in capturing 350 villages and towns in Western Kurdistan, creating a wave of about 300.000 displaced refugees, most of whom fled across the border into Turkey to save themselves leaving behind Kurdish YPG (Peoples Protection Units) and women YPJ fighters who fight to keep Islamic State forces outside Kobane along with the help of the FSA (Free Syrian Army) and the airstrikes by United States and the Arab states coalition.

Most of refugees have found temporary shelter in houses, warehouses, mosques, and refugee camps in the Turkish border town of Suruç, 10 kilometers from Kobane. Suruç, a city of 60.000 inhabitants, has seen its population tripling since the beginning of Rojava invasion trying to return to their daily life, as everything indicates that it will take some time.

Kobane has become a symbol of resistance against the jihadists of the Islamic State that control parts of Iraq and Syria territories committing abhorrent crimes against his opponents and the local civilians.

LinkedIn Icon Facebook Icon Twitter Icon
642

Also by Konstantinos Tsakalidis —

Story

Frozen Hopes

Konstantinos Tsakalidis / Belgrade, Serbia
Story

Unrest at Taxim's Gezi Park

Konstantinos Tsakalidis
Fleeing Rojava by Konstantinos Tsakalidis
Sign-up for
For more access