Issued by the General Union of Kurdish Writers and Journalists in Syria
Issued by the General Union of Kurdish Writers and Journalists in Syria
Considering Turkey’s escalating attacks against the Kurdish people in Syria, which blatantly violate international conventions and national sovereignty, it is imperative that we unite to confront these aggressive policies and actions. These attacks aim to alter geographical and demographic realities, imposing agendas that solely serve Turkey’s hegemonic ambitions in the region.
Since Turkey’s occupation of Afrin in 2018, Ankara’s policy towards Syria has exemplified aggression and exploitation. Utilizing drones and heavy artillery, Turkey has launched devastating attacks, funding and supporting armed factions to advance its agendas. Relentlessly, it has pursued a systematic demographic change targeting the Kurdish identity in occupied areas, displacing thousands of indigenous families in favor of settlers from other regions.
Today, it is evident that Turkey seeks to dominate the new administration in Syria, reshaping it to align with its colonial interests, disregarding principles of state sovereignty and people’s rights. These policies not only aim to eradicate Kurdish presence but also to impose Turkish hegemony over all of Syria, attempting to revive imperialistic ambitions at the expense of Syrian blood.
Turkey has played a detrimental role since the onset of the Syrian crisis, undermining the revolution and diverting its course from demands for freedom and democracy to sectarian and ethnic conflicts. It has steered the Syrian opposition coalition away from its national objectives, turning it into a tool for Ankara’s agendas at the expense of the Syrian people’s aspirations for freedom and dignity.
We, the General Union of Kurdish Writers and Journalists in Syria, view this ongoing Turkish aggression as an existential threat to the Kurdish people, disregarding all values of justice and human rights. Therefore, we call upon the international community, human rights organizations, and all forces committed to peace and justice to:
1. Condemn Turkey’s ongoing attacks on Syrian territory, recognizing them as blatant assaults on a neighboring state’s sovereignty.
2. Take immediate action to halt the demographic changes Turkey is implementing in occupied areas.
3. Pressure Turkey to cease its support for armed factions that violate human rights and commit war crimes in Kurdish regions.
4. Support the Kurds in Syria in their legitimate demands to live freely and with dignity on their land, contributing to building a new Syria based on federal decentralization.
As intellectuals and writers, it is our responsibility to expose these aggressive policies and defend truth and justice through all available peaceful means. We will not remain silent, using our platforms to voice our positions and words against attempts to erase our existence and distort our history and identity. We remain faithful to our human values and committed to defending our people and our just cause.
General Union of Kurdish Writers and Journalists in Syria
January 8, 2025