Turkish violence against the Kurds in Afrin must cease

The violence against the population in Afrin must cease. Furthermore, humanitarian aid must get access to the heavily besieged city in North Syria. The N-VA submitted a resolution at the Flemish Parliament that condemns the violence in Afrin. The resolution was approved unanimously. The N-VA parliamentary group also condemns the Turkish violence in Afrin and calls on the international community to stop looking the other way.

Open warfare

Since Turkey started Operation Olive Branch at the end of January, there have already been large numbers of civilians killed in Afrin, including many children. “The risk of a direct confrontation between Turkey and Syria looms closer by the day. There is a real and justified fear that the Syrian civil war may escalate into open conflict in the region,” the N-VA says with alarm.

Giving up on the Kurds

In this regard, the N-VA also has the Kurds who live in Afrin in mind. “The Kurds are our allies in the fight against IS. Giving up on them would be nothing short of abhorrent,” the N-VA concludes. Furthermore, the N-VA fears that Afrin is only the first step in a total purge of the Kurdish people. The city that may be next in line after Afrin is Manbij. “The international community owes more than just a little to the Kurds,” the N-VA concludes.