In parallel with the attacks launched by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on Aleppo city of Syria on 27 November, Turkey and the SNA targeted North and East Syria cities. In the attacks carried out by Turkey and affiliated groups between 2-9 December, 41 people, including women and children, were massacred. Represantatives of political parties and civil society organisations in Wan (Van) reacted to the attacks. 

 

'SILENCE WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR MASSACRES'

 

Mehmet Ali Sönmez, one of the executives of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Wan Provincial Organisation, said: "The whole world is aware that SNA and ISIS is a subcontractor organisation. This attack is inhuman. All the dirty games carried out by nation states in the Middle East today are aimed at eliminating Kurdish gains. There were massacres that could be stopped with the reaction of the people. Our people should exhibit again the attitude they displayed against the attacks in 2014 and say 'stop' to this massacre. If the public remains unresponsive and silent today, the way will be paved for a great massacre. All people need to speak out against this persecution."

 

EMPHASIS ON 'TOTAL DEFENCE'

 

Yakup Almaç, one of the executives of the Provincial Organisation of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), stated that new tensions and wars are taking place in the Middle East after the start of the Israeli-Palestinian war and said: "At this point, no one living there has any security of life. These attacks are against the democratic and libertarian ideas of the Kurds. All international politicians, academics and leading segments of society, especially in Turkey, should speak out against the attacks on Rojava. Everyone who calls themselves 'human beings' must prevent massacres. A total reaction must be developed against the attacks. In particular, the people need to reveal their democratic reflexes more strongly." 

 

'REACTION MUST BE SHOWN'

 

Involvement in the war in Syria is not right said Human Rights Association (IHD) Wan Branch executive Ayten Kıran and added: "We are at a point where the balances in Syria have changed and the borders will be redrawn after the collapse of the 61-year-old Baath regime. Along with HTS, this time we see that ISIS cells have started to resurge again and concentrated all their attacks on Kurds. We can see that the civilian population is being massacred, especially in the attacks on Manbij and the cities of North and East Syria. These attacks must end as soon as possible. In particular, Turkey should not support this war. Everyone should realise that this is a crime against humanity. Today, we do not find it right for the imperialist powers and Turkey to be involved in this. Especially in the attack on the regions where Kurds are concentrated, all Kurds should react to this by using their democratic rights."

 

'RECOGNISE THE STATUS OF ROJAVA'

 

Murat Atabay, co-chair of the Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim-Sen) Wan Branch, said: "Turkey constantly expresses the literature of 'brotherhood for a thousand years'. If they want to take this out of the realm of literature and adopt a common life with the Kurds, they should not prevent the people they call 'our Kurdish brothers and sisters in Rojava' from having status. One of the most important pillars of the politics conducted through Kurdish enmity is the spending of the budget on war. With the budget spent on the war, many things in Turkey are blocked. For example; when we ask 'why don't you allocate a budget for education', they can very easily create the language of war. The end of the war will also be a relief for the peoples living in Turkey."