Reactions are growing against the invading Turkish state’s use of chemical weapons against the guerrilla forces in the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).

According to Article 74 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the use of chemical weapons is prohibited. Similar conventions such as The Hague and Geneva also prohibit the use of chemical weapons.

Speaking to ANHA on the subject, lawyer Roni Umran Xelef underlined that those using chemical weapons against the people should be prosecuted in accordance with international laws.

Pointing out the silence of the international community against Turkey’s use of chemical weapons, Roni Umran Xelef said, “In the past, Iran was sanctioned for its Nuclear Weapon Program. Today, the Turkish state is using chemical weapons against the Kurdish people and the Kurdistan Freedom Movement, as it did in Serekaniye in 2019. The international community continues to remain silent in the face of these crimes.”

“The silence of human rights organisations and the international community means they are being accomplices to Turkey’s crimes” said Xelef, and warned that the silence paves the way for an increase in the crimes of the Turkish state.

Lawyer Xelef called on the United Nations (UN) Security Council and human rights organisations to fulfil their responsibilities to the peoples in the region.