Rojava-NES | Statement to Civil Society and Global Public Opinion

The Civil Diplomacy Platform has collaborated with 22 organizations and civil society movements to issue a joint statement condemning the Turkish state’s attacks on North and East Syria.

The statement included the following points:

The Turkish state is carrying out an aggressive military operation against the civilian population, infrastructure, and sources of life in North and East Syria, while the international community is silent.

 

The Turkish state has been committing war crimes since the fourth of this month until this moment, which led to the death of more than 16 civilians and the injury of dozens. Turkish warplanes also bombed more than 40 vital infrastructure sites in many cities, especially hospitals, water and gas stations, and wheat warehouses, power and electricity stations, as well as displacement camps and the places surrounding the displaced people of Afrin, Sreikaniyeh and other places. The lives of nearly five million people have been affected by these intense attacks. People of North and East Syria of different nationalities, cultures, and beliefs, who have built a pluralistic life together within the framework of a democratic, communal, and ecological system, are being subjected to systematic attacks. The Turkish state’s threats to launch ground attacks on the region are still continuing.

 

The Turkish state clearly violates international humanitarian laws without taking anyone into account, and does so under flimsy pretexts that are far from the truth. Turkish officials have previously shown in their official statements that they will cut off the sources of life for the population in North and East Syria, and this means an implicit acknowledge of committing war crimes. Silence in the face of these attacks means approval of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe and the instability of the region, because such attacks disrupt the peaceful life of people, destroy infrastructure and superstructure, and wreak havoc on the environment. They also open the way for the migration of more people and for more demographic change policies.

 

On this basis, we, as a Platform for Civil Diplomacy and institutions, organizations and civil society movements of North and East Syria, call on the international community with all its leftist, progressive, socialist, anarchist, feminist, ecologist, orientations and movements, independent figures, academics, journalists and intellectuals to strongly express their usual positions against these fascist attacks. This is so that the voice of the democratic forces remains loud.

We also call on human rights institutions and organizations, the United Nations and the Security Council to carry out their moral and legal duties and responsibilities and prevent the conflict from escalating.

 

Once again, we, as representatives of civil society institutions that represent thousands of active members and all their components; Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Assyrians, Armenians, Chechens, Turkmen, Yazidians, Christians and Muslims, we condemn these brutal attacks by the Turkish state, and we pledge to resist with all our capabilities and serve our people side by side with the institutions of Autonomous Administration. We also pledge to remain attached to our land and not bow to fascist policies.

 

Long live the resistance of the people of NE Syria!

Death to fascism!

Death to the occupation!

 

Qamishlo- October, 8th, 2023

 

Civil Diplomacy Center

Mezopotamya Movement for Culture and Arts

Democratic Islam Congress

Union of Religions and Beliefs of Mezopotamya

Rojava University

Local Administration Department in the Jazira Region

Democratic Society Movement TEV-DEM

Civil Society Organizations in Raqqa

Civil Society Organizations in Tabqa

Federation of War Wounded

Afrin Social Association

Green Trees Association

House of Yazidians

Doctors Union

Pharmacists Union

Lawyers Union

Artists Union

Laborers Union

Farmers Union

Teachers Union

Union of Free Media