Attacks on Rojava and Palestine: Voice must be raised without discrimination

2023-10-18 11:28:18


	 

	AMED - İHD Amed Branch President Ercan Yılmaz stated that, just like the attacks in Palestine, the attacks on Northern and Eastern Syria should be opposed and the demand for peace should be increased.

	 

	Following the attack on the General Directorate of Security located in the Ministry of Internal Affairs campus on October 1, the cities of Northern and Eastern Syria were once again targeted. In the air strikes launched on October 4, the infrastructure and civilian settlements of the region were bombed. Many civilians lost their lives in the attacks. It was noteworthy that the AKP government, which targeted civilians in Northern and Eastern Syria, condemned the targeting of civilians in the conflict between Israel and Palestine that started on October 7.

	 

	Evaluating the attacks, Human Rights Association (IHD) Amed Branch President Ercan Yılmaz emphasized that all segments of society should want peace against wars.

	 

	ATTACKS AND THE KURDISH ISSUE

	 

	Stating that the silence against attacks on civilian areas in Northern and Eastern Syria is due to the deadlock in the Kurdish issue and security policies, Yılmaz said: "Turkey's ability to always exclude the Kurds while expressing its will for peace with its neighbors is a matter of criticism. There are constant attacks on certain regions of Iraq and Syria. The damage this causes to civilian life there is ignored. It is as if a perception is being created that all the people living there are warriors and that there is no social life there. There is a constant emphasis on 'terrorist elements'." 

	 

	Recalling the statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan that dams and power plants will also be targeted, Yılmaz said: “This actually reveals that there is civilian life there and that civilians are likely to be directly affected by these attacks. As can be seen from many images reflected in the press, many civilians living in that region lost their lives or were injured."

	 

	'CONDEMNING ATTACKS AGAINST CIVILIANS IN ROJAVA'

	 

	Stating that voices should be raised without discrimination in rights advocacy, Yılmaz said: “Turkey's current military operations against the Rojava region serve as a litmus test for both the world and those who demand peace in Turkey. We think that there should be no wars anywhere in the world, but we should not make a distinction here. Just as we condemn Israel's actions against Palestinian citizens and Hamas' actions against Israeli civilians, we need to condemn the loss of life and attacks against civilians in Rojava in the same way and raise the demand for peace. Both the opposition and people who have demands on this issue should speak out against the attacks on Syria and Rojava without any concern."

	  

	'UN SHOULD ESTABLISH THE PEACE TABLE'

	 

	Referring to the silence of international areas, Yılmaz said: "I remind the founding philosophy of the United Nations (UN). The UN should take steps to solve the crisis. The UN did not show the expected reflex on both the Palestine and Rojava issues, the UN should establish a 'peace table' and fulfill its mission."

	 

	MA / Eylem Akdağ