Rojava’s youth movement sees its attacks on Rudaw office as warnings

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An official from northeast Syria’s (Rojava) dominant youth movement, a pressure group affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), said on Wednesday that the group’s attacks on Rudaw Media Network’s office in Qamishli were to “warn” the outlet that it needs to serve the Kurdish administration.

Rudaw Media Network’s office in Qamishli has come under attack six times. The outlet has accused the Revolutionary Youths Movement of Syria - best known as Revolutionary Youths - of conducting some of these attacks.

Medya Yusif, an official from the movement, spoke to Rudaw’s Viviyan Fettah in a rare interview on Wednesday. She did not deny her movement’s role in the attacks.

“Rudaw TV operates in Western Kurdistan [Rojava]. The Rojava Revolution is a democratic one, meaning everyone can do their activities. Any media outlet that operates here should serve the revolution. When the youth realize that something is not serving the revolution, they do not attack but warn. Anything here should serve the revolution,” she said.

The movement uses tactics such as arson, intimidation and physical attacks on groups, individuals and even TV stations like Rudaw TV to terrorize them and force them to accept their demands.

“When there is something against the revolution, we cannot control the youth. This does not mean that we consider what they do legitimate … Your TV channel should further serve the revolution because the Turkish invasion aims to destroy the revolution,” added Yusif.

The latest attack on the office was on September 28 when it was set on fire. It did not cause casualties but there was a large amount of material damage.

“So far, no arrests have been made regarding previous attacks, though they happened during the daytime and with the presence of security forces,” read a statement from Rudaw Media Network then, accusing the Revolutionary Youths.

The movement is widely known to be affiliated with the PKK - armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. Ankara considers the PKK a terrorist organization.

Despite respecting the ideology of PKK’s jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan, Yusif said the movement is not affiliated to any political party, adding that it is run by a council which was formed in 2012 during the movement’s first congress in Rumelan.

“Our objectives include leading the Rojava Revolution and expanding it to everywhere in [Greater] Kurdistan,” she said, noting that another objective was to confront the Syrian regime’s attacks on Kurds.

The movement is also accused of attacking the offices of Rojava’s main opposition Kurdish National Council (ENKS) several times. Yusif denied her movement’s involvement in any of these attacks.

Rojava’s youth movement sees its attacks on Rudaw office as warnings

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