Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM) Executive Council issued a written statement on the invading Turkish state’s threats of invasion against Northern and Eastern Syria and the attacks against Maxmur and Shengal. The TEV-DEM statement is as follows:

“The Turkish state, having harbored hostility against Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian-Syriac, Circassian, Armenian and Turkmen peoples who established a democratic revolution in Rojava and Northern Syria because of their animosity against Kurds and democracy and having supported ISIS, wants to now invade Northern Syria. Turkey invaded Afrin together with their gangs early this year as a result of dirty relationships and with Russia’s approval, and has now declared that they will invade the free and autonomous areas of Northern Syria with the gangs they organized, encouraged by silence from the coalition forces, as a result of relationships and meetings are not fully known.

DEFENDING HUMANITY IN NORTHERN SYRIA

Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians-Syriacs and all peoples of Northern Syria have built a political, societal, economic and cultural system based on a democratic and free life in Northern Syria with an understanding of a nation and fraternity of peoples. ISIS, Al Nusra and FSA gangs have attacked the Northern Syrian revolutionary democratic forces as they attacked all peoples of Syria, the Middle East and all of humanity. Arabs, Kurds, Assyrians-Syriacs and all peoples of Northern Syria have over ten thousand martyrs and even more veterans, that is how they pushed these attacks back and started the demise of ISIS and other gangs. SDF, the self defense force of the peoples, has thus defended all of humanity, not just the peoples of Northern Syria. They have paid this heavy price for all of humanity. All states that have formed a coalition against ISIS acted together with the Syrian Democratic Forces in this fight.

All the peoples of the world know that the Turkish state continued its overt and covert relationship with ISIS as Kurds and the peoples of Northern Syria fought ISIS. They were expecting ISIS to smother the democratic revolution in Northern Syria.

ATTACKS CARRIED OUT WITH NATO WEAPONS

As peoples of Northern Syria fought ISIS and paid a great price, Turkey, in their political and financial ties with the coalition powers, constantly attacked the democratic system formed in Northern Syria. The coalition forces not taking a stand against Turkish state attacks, as the joint fight against ISIS continues, is entirely unacceptable. The Turkish state’s NATO membership increases the ethical and political responsibility on the coalition forces’ shoulders, because the Turkish state attacks have been using weapons provided by coalition forces as part of Turkey’s membership to NATO.

Coalition forces have responded to Russian and Syrian armed forces’ attacks against Northern Syrian territory, but they remain silent when Turkey attacks. No political understanding or relationship can legitimize silence in the face of Turkish state attacks. As Russia’s role in Afrin’s invasion is unacceptable, so is coalition forces’ silence in the face of Turkish state attacks. As Russia was an accomplice in the invasion of Afrin, so will the US and all the coalition forces become complicit in the crimes in case of the invasion to come if silence against Turkish state attacks continues.

RUSSIA AND REGIME HOPE TO BENEFIT FROM ATTACKS

Russia and Syria not putting forth a clear stand against the Turkish state’s invasion attack against Northern Syria shows that they are hoping to benefit politically from such an attack as well. Russia frequently says they want to found a state to the east of the Euphrates and thus fracture Syria, provoking Turkey and Syria. The coalition forces remaining silent against an attack on Northern Syrian territory where they have troops stationed and Russia and Syria not taking clear stands show that the peoples of Northern Syria are faced with a dirty plan and a conspiracy. The Kurdish people and the peoples of Northern Syria should see this very well. It has been inevitable for the peoples of Northern Syria to continue the fight against the invasion at the topmost level, with the awareness that their true strength lies in their unity.

FULFILLING RESPONSIBILITIES

The peoples of the world should take a stand against the silence by the US and the coalition forces in the face of the attack against Kurds, Arabs, Assyrian-Syriacs and all peoples of Northern Syria who have fought against ISIS in the name of humanity. This stance by the US and the coalition forces that doesn’t comply with political ethics or conscience means complicity. In this sense, all democratic forces and all of humanity with a conscience should take a clear stand against these immoral and unconscientious approaches to the peoples of Northern Syria who have over 10.000 martyrs in the fight against ISIS in the name of all humanity. The states that have honored YPG, YPJ and SDF during the war against ISIS should also fulfill their responsibilities towards the peoples of Northern Syria.

The Turkish state isn’t just attacking the peoples of Northern Syria, who gave over 10.000 of their children martyrs and have several times that in veterans in the fight against ISIS - they are also attacking the Yazidi people in Shengal who have been subjected to genocidal attacks by ISIS and the people of Botan, the heart of Kurdistan, who fled Turkish state tyranny and settled in the Makhmur camp where they were subjected to ISIS attacks. They are hostile towards any and all Kurds who are loyal to a free and democratic life. Their attack against the oppressed Yazidi people and the people of Makhmur only aims to complete what ISIS started. The murder of civilians, 3 women and 1 child, in Makhmur shows the character of the Turkish state. It is the US and the coalition forces yet again who have encouraged this attack with their approach. We are calling on the US and coalition forces to give up this approach and refrain from compliance in Turkey’s attacks, and the UN to take immediate responsibility in the face of these attacks to avoid greater crimes against humanity.

CALL FOR PEOPLES

Our esteemed peoples and all the peoples of the world, the Turkish state has been attacking Northern Syria, which will be the seed and foundation for the democratization of Syria and the Middle East, and these attacks are not only hostile against Kurds, Arabs or Syrians but the whole of humanity. Attacking the oppressed Yazidi people who have suffered a genocide at the hands of ISIS and the people of Makhmur under UN protection show just how removed from humanity the Turkish state’s character is. These attacks constitute, before all, support for ISIS and the enemies of democracy in the Middle East. The Turkish state’s animosity against Kurds have morphed into hostility towards all peoples and forces of democracy. In this sense, a fight against the invasion by Turkey, which has become the patron of inhumane gangs and speaker for them in political platforms, is a fight against the anti-democracy fascists throughout the Middle East. Thus, this resistance will be the resistance for the democratization of the Middle East. On this basis, we are calling on the peoples of Northern Syria and the peoples of Syria, Iraq and all of the Middle East, as well as all of humanity, to stand up against the enemy of the peoples the Turkish state’s attacks.”