Women from across the world call on the UN to ‘take action regarding the attacks against Kurds’

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Seventy-five women's organizations and individuals across the world have called on the United Nations Secretary-General and United Nations Women Commission to take action regarding Turkey's cross-border operations in Sinjar, Makhmur, and Rojava.

In the open letter the women have sent, they asked the UN to mobilize its mechanisms.

Women state in the letter that "Afrin (March 2018) and Ras al-Ayn (October 2019) are 'occupied'; Turkish armed drones permanently fly over North-East Syria, Sinjar, and Makhmour, creating an atmosphere of fear and deep insecurity; civilian infrastructure, cars, and houses are attacked without warning and people flee their land because they fear further Turkish attacks and occupation."

The full statement read as follows: 

"To the UN Secretary-General,

To UN Women,

Turkey's aggression against the Kurds reached a new stage in 2017 when it started its airstrikes against North East Syria, the Yazidi homeland Sinjar, and Camp Makhmour in North Iraq, where more than 11,000 Kurdish refugees live.

Since then, Turkey has occupied the mainly Kurdish populated cities of Afrin (March 2018) and Serêkaniyê / Ra's al-'Ain (October 2019). Turkish armed drones permanently fly over North East Syria, Sinjar, and Makhmour, creating an atmosphere of fear and deep insecurity. Civilian infrastructure, cars, and houses are attacked without warning. People flee their land because they fear further Turkish attacks and occupation.

Turkey justifies its extrajudicial killings, drone attacks and military occupation operations as 'self-defence' in terms of Article 51 of the UN Charter. (...)

Suborganisations of the UN themselves regularly produce reports on the security situation in Syria as well as in Iraq. Neither North East Syria, the Yazidi people of Sinjar nor the Makhmour Refugee Camp pose a security threat to Turkey. (...)

We the undersigned do not accept the UN backing of Turkish aggression against Kurdish people in North East Syria and Northern Iraq. We reject Turkey's claim of self-defence and stress that the Turkish state is the attacker. We call on the UN to condemn Turkish aggression against the Kurds and mobilize its mechanisms to stop Turkey's cross-border attacks on North East Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq / Northern Iraq."

Among the signatories are:

KONGRA STAR (Women Coordination in Rojava, The Autonomous Administration,on of North East Syria
Benedetta Argentieri, journalist and filmmaker, Italy

Susanne Bader, European Coordinator of World Women's Conference of Grassroots Women, Germany

Clare Baker, International Officer of UNITE the union, UK

Zahraa Banaho, human rights activist, West Sahara

Vicky Blake, UCU President, UK

Baroness Christine Blower, House of Lords, UK

Debbie Bookchin, journalist and author, USA

Orsola Casagrande, journalist, Basque Country

Vandana Chaudry, Associate Professor, City University of New York, USA

Louise Christian, lawyer, Honouary Vice-Chair of Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, UK

Nora Cortinas, co-founder of Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, Argentina

Dr Hiba Haddadin, General Director of the Foundation for Gender Studies and Consultations, Jordan

Jean Halley, Professor, City University of New York, USA

Dr Basma Hamdi, Secretary General of the International Federation of African Women, Tunisia

Neemat Koko, Director of the Center for the Gender Studies, Sudan

Dr Carol Mann, Director of Women in War, France

Shamiran Odisho, Secretary of the Iraqi Women's Association, Iraq

Margaret Owen, O.B.E., President Widows for Peace through Democracy, UK

Julia Pascal, playwright, director, journalist, UK

Louise Regan, National Officer, Membership and Equality, National Education Union, UK

Khadija Riyadi, activist, winner of the United Nations Human Rights Prize, Morocco

Tiba Saad Abdelkarim, feminist movement Intadifi, Iraq

Rita Segato, feminist academic and Professor Emerita at the University of Brasilia, Argentina

(AEK/TB)