No F-16 Fighter Jets to Turkey! Turkey's Drone War Against the Women-led Democratic System in North and East Syria (Rojava, Kurdistan) Must Be Stopped
To the General Public:
On the morning of June 20, the Turkish state carried out a drone strike in the village of Til Şeir, in Qamishlo Canton of the North and East Syria. The Turkish drone targeted a vehicle carrying officials of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) on a busy road, killing three people and seriously injuring one. The co-chair of the Qamishlo canton,Yusra Derwîş, the deputy co-chair, Lîman Şiwêş, and their driver, Firat Tûma were killed. Co-chair Gabî Şemûn was seriously injured
Since 2020, Turkey has been systematically and deliberately launching drone attacks against the population of North and East Syria. It frequently targets civilians and infrastructure. Since the beginning of this year alone, the Turkish state has carried out 31 drone strikes in North and East Syria. In the process, 48 people have been killed, including 13 civilians, and 38 people, including 12 civilians, have been injured. Since June 12, Turkey has expanded its shelling and drone strikes into the region, killing dozens of people.
Turkey has systematically used armed drones to assassinate those who play an important role in the Kurdish women's movement. With these attacks, the Turkish state aims to destabilize the region, displace the original inhabitants of the area and destroy the democratic project of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria based on women’s empowerment and pluralism.
These attacks occur at a time when the Biden administration is set to seek Congressional approval to conclude a $20 billion deal to supply Turkey with F-16 fighter jets and other military equipment. NATO-member Turkey is known for human rights abuses and transborder militarily attacks on Syria and Iraq, regions that are home to diverse populations, including Kurds, Yezidis, and Assyrians.
Turkey's attacks intensified shortly after the Autonomous Administration announced that it would bring ISIS captives in northern and eastern Syria to justice. The Turkish state relies on ISIS to create instability in the region and the ongoing Turkish attacks are instrumental in reviving ISIS.
We on behalf of the American Kurdish Association (AKA), Emergency Committee for Rojava (ECR) CityKurds and friends of the Kurdish movement urge the American public and international community to reach out to their representatives in government to pressure Turkey to stop its aggression against the Autonomous Administration and the self-defense forces of North and East Syria. We demand an immediate halt to the Biden administration’s sale of F-16s. A No-Fly Zone must be implemented against armed or unarmed drones. Turkey must immediately withdraw from the illegally occupied regions.