A Diyarbakır court has ordered the banning and confiscation of the book The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage, and Justice, written by American journalist and author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon.
The ruling by the Diyarbakır 4th Penal Judgeship of Peace follows a similar decision made by the İzmir 4th Criminal Judgeship of Peace in March 2023, which also banned and ordered the seizure of the book.
Avesta Publishing, which distributes the book in Turkey, criticized the lack of notification for both bans. In a social media statement, the publisher said, "Without the first ban being officially communicated to us, the Diyarbakır 4th Criminal Judgeship of Peace has now issued another ban, dated October 17, 2024, under Decision No. 2024/7039. This second ban, like the first, has yet to be formally delivered to our publishing house."
Published internationally, The Daughters of Kobani is based on hundreds of hours of interviews and field reporting conducted by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon. It tells the story of Kurdish women fighters who played a key role in the battle against ISIS in the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani during 2014 and 2015.
Kobani, located in northern Syria, became a symbol of the fight against ISIS after the People’s Defense Units (YPG) successfully repelled an ISIS siege that lasted months. While praised internationally for their efforts, the YPG is viewed by Turkey as the Syrian affiliate of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). (RT/VK)
