Thessaloniki, January 28, 2026 – With the ‘Caravan for the Defense of Humanity’, more than one hundred people from over ten European countries are expressing solidarity with the population of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES). For weeks, the region has been under attack by the Islamist transitional government in Damascus, supported by the Turkish military.
Traveling along several routes across Europe, the Caravan has now reached Thessaloniki. Today, participants plan to enter Turkey and continue onward to the Syrian-Turkish border, near the city of Kobane. There, they aim to support the local population in resisting the ongoing siege and to draw attention to the severe humanitarian situation on the ground.
‘We stand with the people of North and East Syria and support their efforts for democracy, peace, and freedom. We must not allow them to once again live under the threat of Islamist rule. Defending Rojava means defending basic human values’, said Ségolène Ogier, a participant from France.
Amid the years of civil war in Syria, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), also known as Rojava, has developed a democratic governance model centered on gender equality, grassroots councils, and an ecologically oriented economy. This system has enabled peaceful coexistence among diverse ethnic and religious communities, including Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Christians, and Druze.
The city of Kobane, now under siege by forces of the Syrian transitional government, became an international symbol of resistance against the so-called Islamic State in 2014. Through the efforts of the local population and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the city was successfully defended, ISIS was pushed back, and ultimately militarily defeated in 2017.
‘The people who helped rid the world of ISIS – a group that also terrorised Europe – are once again being abandoned by the international community’, said Gesa Jonasson, one of the Caravan’s spokespersons.
Participants criticise the lack of a clear stance by European governments toward the authorities in Damascus and call for political recognition of the Democratic Autonomous Administration. Instead of condemning documented war crimes committed by the Syrian transitional government, Europe has welcomed the self-declared Syrian president al-Sharaa as a state guest.
The ongoing military attacks, the catastrophic humanitarian conditions, and the forced displacement of civilians by the Syrian army, supported by Turkey, are increasingly destabilizing the region. At the same time, they pose a growing security risk for Europe. As a result of the attacks, hundreds of ISIS detainees have already escaped from prisons in North and East Syria, raising serious concerns about a possible resurgence of the group.
This press release is also available in: Slovenian, German
Press Contacts
Caravan Spokesperson:
Gesa Jonasson
+49 163 143 9287
Additional spokespersons in various languages can be reached via the general press team:
+31 6130 48773
About the ‘Caravan for the Defense of Humanity’
The ‘Caravan for the Defense of Humanity’ was formed in response to escalating attacks on the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, also known as Rojava. Participants from across Europe have come together to send a strong message of solidarity with the local population and their resistance. Over the past few days, more than one hundred people from over ten countries have joined the initiative. Traveling along multiple routes, the Caravan is making its way toward the besieged city of Kobane at the Turkish–Syrian border.
