21 Members of the European Parliament wrote to Kaja Kallas, Vice President of the European Commission, to express their "concerns over the future of Syria, and especially the future of the people of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria."

The letter said that "the Autonomous Administration hopes for a stable, peaceful, and inclusive Syria, run by the Syrian people.

Since they first took control in the region, in the political vacuum of the Syrian Civil War, and again after they liberated further areas from ISIS, these principles have formed the basis of all the systems that the Autonomous Administration has set up and run. In the midst of that civil war, they established an island of peaceful coexistence and women’s rights; and they have put this forward as a model for the rest of Syria, of which they consider themselves an integral part."

But now, wrote the MEPs, "as Syria stands at the crossroads, that peace and that model of multiculturalism and feminism is under violent and completely unprovoked attack from Turkish-backed militias, and under threat of a full-scale Turkish invasion."

At this time of many different talks and negotiations between all the different parties concerned about Syria’s future, wrote the MEPs, "the Autonomous Administration and its Syrian Democratic Forces are fully engaged in the negotiations and discussing their integration into the new Syrian Republic. They are putting forward the case for harmony through decentralisation and local control, and they also stress the need to be able to continue to defend themselves against all too real external dangers."

The MEPs added: "The results of these important and delicate discussions are crucial to the future of the whole of Syria and beyond, and we write to urge the European Commission to use its influence to support the survival of this tolerant and democratic society and to put pressure on Turkey to stop their aggression.

We particularly draw your attention to the situation at the Tishreen Dam over the Euphrates, which is under constant Turkish attack. These attacks have already resulted in the loss of electricity and of supplies of pumped water for around a million people, and they risk a massive and widespread catastrophe if the dam collapses. The rush of water could even breach the Tabqa Dam downstream and carry devastation all the way to Iraq, creating hundreds of thousands of new refugees. In an attempt to draw attention to this attack on their means of subsistence and to the threat to their land and lives, local people have been protesting at the dam, but the civilian protestors have themselves been repeatedly targeted by Turkey’s air force, leaving at least seventeen dead and many more injured."

Altogether, wrote the MEPs, "there have been close to a hundred civilians killed in Turkish attacks since the beginning of December, as Turkey continues to target civilian areas. They have targeted ambulances, assassinated journalists, and destroyed grain stores.

We also reiterate our concern over the future security of the thousands of ISIS prisoners and radicalised families who regard a possible take-over by Turkey as a ticket to escape from captivity and to the establishment of a new “Islamic State”.

We hope that the European Union can play a part in supporting the exemplary Syrian-led developments in North and East Syria against this destructive and dangerous external intervention – for their sake, for the future of Syria and the Middle East, and for the safety of us all."

The MEPs who signed the letter are as follows:

CLAUSEN Per (GUE/NGL)

ORLANDO Leoluca (Greens/EFA)

SCHIEDER Andreas (S&D)

BARRENA Pernando (GUE/NGL)

CHAIBI Leila (GUE/NGL)

DEMIREL Özlem (GUE/NGL)

EVERDING Sebastian (GUE/NGL)

FRAGKOS Emmanouil (ECR)

GEDIN Hanna (GUE/NGL)

GROSSMANN Elisabeth (S&D)

HEIDE Hannes (S&D)

LOISEAU Nathalie (Renew)

MARZA IBANEZ Vincent (Greens/EFA)

MAVRIDES Costas (S&D) PAPANDREOU Nikos (S&D)

REUTEN Thijs (S&D)

SALIS Ilaria (GUE/NGL)

SIDL Guenther (S&D)

SJÖSTEDT Jonas (GUE/NGL)

STRADA Cecilia Maria (S&D) ZACHARIA Maria (NI)