International Initiative: Defend Kurdistan Against Turkish Occupation

The international initiative “Defend Kurdistan against the Turkish occupation!” was announced today in Hewlêr (Erbil). The activists of the initiative demand an immediate stop of the Turkish attacks on South Kurdistan and a withdrawal of all Turkish troops and Islamist mercenaries.

The following is the document released by the initiative:

We – nearly 150 politicians, human rights advocates, journalists, academics, members of parliaments, political activists, ecologists, and feminists from all over Europe, world and Kurdistan– have been closely following the dangerous developments resulting from Turkey’s attacks on South Kurdistan (North Iraq) since the 23rd of April 2021. As a result, we have gathered in Erbil today and decided that we must speak out.

Many other organisations and individuals who cannot be here today for various reasons have also expressed their solidarity and support for the proclamation of our international initiative, Defend Kurdistan.

So, it is with one united voice of moral clarity, that we wish to unequivocally condemn the Turkish Military’s ongoing occupation of South Kurdistan and stand in solidarity with the people of South Kurdistan and Kurdish resistance forces in the protection of their homeland.

In April, the Turkish state initiated a new, wide-ranging military campaign in South Kurdistan in the regions of Matina, Zap and Avashin. Heavy battles continue in these regions, with the Kurdish guerrilla forces fiercely resisting this illegal invasion. These large-scale attacks target not only the Kurdish guerrilla forces, but also the achievements of the Kurdish people, with the aim of occupying South Kurdistan. To date, the response to these attacks on the international level has unfortunately been muted. Seizing on this silence, the Turkish regime has put in place their plan to occupy all of Rojava (the region of North and East Syria) alongside South Kurdistan. In so doing, Turkey is determined to ethnically cleanse this vast area – 1400 km long – from North-West Syria to the Iraqi-Iranian border. At the same time, Turkey is waging a drone war against the Maxmur refugee camp, a gross violation of international law. Connected to this policy of ethnic cleansing, the Turkish military also hopes to depopulate the Sinjar region, home of the Yazidis—and thereby achieve what ISIS could not.

Since the summer of 2012, the Kurds of Rojava and North East Syria have been working hand in hand with local communities of Arabs, Assyrians, Turkmens, and Armenians, having led a revolution together that established an Autonomous Administration that is democratic and empowers women. In response, Turkey has used jihadist militants to directly attack these areas of Rojava including Afrin, Azaz, Jarablus, Sere Kaniye and Gire Spi (Tal Abyad), in the hopes of occupying and destroying the achievements of this women’s-led Administration. During these ongoing occupations, Turkey has engineered demographic change, systematic rape, and enslavement of women, causing mass displacement of the large Kurdish and other civilian populations, as part of their strategy to Turkify and eventually annex these lands.

And the issues are not only abroad. In fact, the latest example of Erdoğan’s unrelenting hostility towards Kurdish political and social gains derives from within Turkey itself, and his attempt to shut down the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). This is the latest step in a years-long campaign against the HDP – a progressive alliance of Kurdish, Turkish and many other democratic parties, organizations, and individuals – which has led to the imprisonment of over ten thousand HDP members.

Unfortunately, the Kurdistan Region (KRG) and the Iraqi government have done little to stop Turkey’s occupation attempt. In particular, it has been disappointing for us to see how Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) officials have even tried to legitimize the Turkish occupation. Whatever Ankara’s economic pressure might be, the KDP must not allow itself to be turned into a Turkish proxy, as the consequences of this war can be grave for all of Kurdistan and the region.

The world must also recognize that Turkey is attempting to carry out a genocide against the Kurdish people. And it is only the Kurdish resistance movement which is preventing the full occupation of Kurdistan and annihilation of the Kurd’s political rights. The current armed resistance in Zap, Avashin and Metina has turned Kurdistan into a stronghold of defiance, not just for the Kurds, but for all the people in the wider region threatened by Turkish neo-Ottoman expansionism. To this end, Turkish President Erdoğan has made no secret of his ambition to restore the lost glory of the Ottoman Empire by reconquering its former territory.

As such, parallel to Turkish military campaigns against the Kurds in Syria, Turkey, and Iraq, Erdoğan has meddled in various conflict areas, including Libya, Artsakh/Azerbaijan, Yemen, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Somalia, and Lebanon. Connected to this, are his threats against many nations, such Greece, Cyprus, Armenia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and France.

We must also recognize that Erdoğan’s regime has a long track record of funding, arming, and supporting the Islamic State (ISIS) and various other similar violent jihadist groups, using them officially and unofficially as proxy forces to augment the Turkish state’s reach abroad. During the recent conflict in Artsakh involving Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, Erdoğan sent hundreds of jihadist proxy fighters from Syria to support Azerbaijan and has also sent these fighters to Libya to participate in the country’s protracted conflict. Through these actions, Turkey is violating the sovereignty of other countries, and spreading its mercenary terrorism throughout the globe.

Erdoğan is well aware of Turkey’s unique geopolitical position and exploits it to his advantage. He knows that his military, the second largest in NATO, is a formidable force and bulwark for the ‘West’. So, the Turkish state, under his rule, continues to openly and systematically defy international law and violate human rights conventions. Turkey continuously violates sovereignty of many countries. Meanwhile, NATO, the United Nations, the European Union, and the Council of Europe all respond with deafening silence. But the international community must be driven by morality not geo-strategy. And their failure to challenge Erdoğan’s authoritarianism and war crimes, effectively gives him permission to continue his military aggression. In turn, it also makes them a partly responsible conspirator in his ongoing destruction.

We therefore proclaim an international initiative DEFEND KURDISTAN Against Turkish Occupation!

In order to achieve an immediate stop of the Turkish attacks on South Kurdistan and a withdrawal of all Turkish troops and Islamist mercenaries we demand the following:

Stop the Turkish occupation, demographic change, instability, and ethnic cleansing campaign in South Kurdistan.
Stop the destruction and exploitation of Kurdistan’s nature.
No complicity of international and regional powers in the Kurdish genocide.
Support of all Kurdish parties, institutions, and people for the guerrilla’s resistance and their united stance against the Turkish occupation.

No to Erdoğan’s neo-Ottoman expansionist project throughout the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.

Signatories of the International Initiative: DEFEND KURDISTAN Against Turkish Occupation:

Massimiliano Smeriglio, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) of  S&D
Malin Björk, Member of the European Parliament of the Swedish Left Party, Sweden
Lotta Johnsson Fornarve,  Member of Parliament for the Left Party and Deputy Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Sweden
Villo Sigurdsson, Former Kopenhag Mayor 
Pernille Frahm, Former MP, Socialist Peoples Party SF,Danmark
Ilona Szatmari Waldau, Member of Parliament for the Left Party, Sweden 
Lorena Delgado Varas, Member of Parliament for the Left Party, Sweden
Tony Haddou, Member of Parliament for the Left Party, Sweden
Malcolm Momodou Jallow, Member of Parliament for the Left Party, Sweden 
Jean Tschopp, Member of Parliament, Switzerland
Conni Moehring, Member of the Parliament, Die Linke, Germany
Cornelia Moehring, Member of the Parliament, Die Linke, Germany
Ilona Szatmari Waldau, Member of Parliament for the Left Party, Sweden
Lorena Delgado Varas  Member of Parliament for the Left Party, Sweden
Nicola Fratoianni, Secretary of the Left Party, Member of the Parliament, Italy
Tony Haddou, Member of Parliament for the Left Party, Sweden
Jean Tschopp, Member of Parliament, Switzerland
Raúl Zibechi, Journalist, Uruguay
Alberto Colin Huizar, Anthropologist, Mexico,
Alirio Uribe, Lawyer, Human Rights Defender, Colombia
Ana María Verá Smith, Professor, Mexico
Armando Wauriyu, National Organisation of Indigenous Peoples, Colombia
Celia Pacheco, Metropolitan Autonomous University Mexico,
Daniele Fini, Physician, Italy,
Dr. Gilberto López y Rivas, Professor, Researcher,  Anthropologist at INAH Institute of Morales, Columnist for La Jornada
Fernando Matamoros, Professor of Sociology, Mexico,
Gilberto Conde, Professor, Mexico,
Héctor Valadez George, National Coordinating Committee of Peoples Resistance (CONUR), Mexico
Heriberto Cairo, Professor, Complutense University, Spain
Inés Duran Matute, Researcher, Mexico
Jose Santos Cordinador, Federation of the Afro Communities of Colombia
Kemal Soleimani, Professor at the Colmex Institute, Mexico
Margara Millan, Professor, Mexico,
Marylen Serna Salinas, Antropolog, People’s Congress, Colombia
Oliver Gabriel Hernández Lara, Sociologist, Mexico
Rafael Enciso, Economist, Mexico.
Raquel Gutiérrez, Professor, Mexico,
Rocío Martínez / Ts’ujul, Professor, Mexico
Rodrigo Camarena González, Researcher, Mexico
Sergio Tischler, Professor, Mexico
Beatriu Cardona coordinator Intersindical of women, spain
Vicent, spokesperson of Intersindical Valenciana, spain
Vicenç, political party Mas senator for Mallorca, spain
Daniel Lobato , PCE Communist Party of Spain
Prof. Dr. Ueli Mäder, Sociologist, Switzerland
Edibe Gölgeli, Member of the Grand Councillor, Socialist Party, Switzerland
Stefanie Prezioso, Member of the Council of Geneva, Switzerland
Anina Jendreyko, Artist, Switzerland B
Vincent Keller, Member of the Grand Council of Vaud, POP
Elisabetta Gualmini, MEP, S&D
Giuliano Pisapia, MEP, S&D
Patrizia Toia, MEP, S&D
Luigi Vinci, Former MEP 
Paolo Ferrero, Vice President of the European Left Party, former Minister of the Italian Republic
Fausto Bertinotti, Former president of the Chamber of Deputies in Italy  
Alfonso Gianni, former parliamentarian and undersecretary, co-editor of the magazine “Alternative per il Socialismo”
Maurizio Acerbo, National secretary of the Communist Refoundation Party
Albert Scherfig, Chef Editor of Antifascistisk Forum” Journal, Danmark
Allgemeinen Dresdener Syndikat der Freien Arbeiter*innen Union (FAU)        
Allt åt Alla Association, Sweden          
Jonas Eika, writer, Denmark
Andreas Buderus, Freelance Author
Anja Kerstin Lercher, Member of the District Council Marburg-Biedenkopf, Germany
Annette Mørk, President of the Horserød- Stutthof Association and Editorial Board of the “Antifascistisk Forum” Journal, Danmark
Antifaschistische Aktion Lüneburg / Uelzen, Germany
Anuradha Chenoy, Professor, retd. Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Associazioni, Sindacati, partiti politici 
Baran Topal, Mitglied im Kreisvorstand Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Kreisverband Karlsruhe
Barbara Muraca, Barbara Muraca, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Environmental Philosophy, University of Oregon
Sinistra Italia, the political party
Moni Ovadia, actor, singer, musician and writer
Nicola Fratoianni, secretary of the left Italy party and deputy of the parliament in Italy
Domenico Gallo, Magistrate of the Court of Cassation of Rome
Silvana Barbieri, Cultural Association Punto Rosso
Manolo Luppichini, Documentarist
Vincenzo Vita, President of the Association for the Renewal of the Left
Mario Agostinelli, former secretary of the Lombardy trade union CGIL, President of the Happy Energy Association
Marco Bersani, Attac-Italy
Maso Notarianni, Maso Notarianni, President of ARCI (cultural and social association, 4401 clubs) of Milan
Left Italy political party
CUB, Basic Unitary Confederation of workers
CRED/GIGI , The Center for Research and Development for Democracy/International Legal Intervention Group
Association for the Left for another Europe, Massimo Torelli and Giulia Rodan
Domenico Gallo, magistrate of the Court of Cassation of Rome
Silvana Barbieri, Punto Rosso Cultural Association
Manolo Luppichini, Documentarist
Vincenzo Vita, President of the Association for the Renewal of the Left
Mario Agostinelli, Former Secretary of the Lombardy CGIL, President of the Happy Energy Association
Marco Bersani, Attac-Italy
Maso Notarianni, President of ARCI, Milan
Associazioni, Sindacati, partiti politici;
Sinistra Italia-Left Party of Italy
CUB, Confederazione Unitaria di Base
CRED/GIGI The Center for Research and Development for Democracy/International Legal Intervention Group
Massimo Torelli, Left Association for Another Europe, Italy
Giulia Rodano, Left Association for Another Europe, Italy
Anuradha Chenoy, Professor, retd. Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Kamal Chenoy, Professor, retd. Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Prof. Rajeev Bhargava, Director, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, India
Zoya Hasan, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Professor Achin Vanaik, Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, India
Pamela Philipose, Public Editor, The Wire, news and opinion portal, India
Mihir Desai,  Senior Advocate, Vice President Peoples Union of Civil Liberties, India
Irfan Engineer, All India Secular Forum
Pradip Kumar Datta, Retd. Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Kunal Chattopadhyay, Professor, Jadavpur University, West Bengal, India
Ditte Bjerregaard, antropolog, Center for Magtanalyse, Danmark
Minna Katz,  Antropolog, Danmark
Jesper Brandt, Professor Emeritus, Roskilde University 
Annette Mørk, President of the Horserød- Stutthof Association and Editorial Board of the “Antifascistisk Forum” Journal, Danmark
Albert Scherfig, Chef Editor of Antifascistisk Forum” Journal, Danmark
Emil Olsen, Chief Editor of Antifascistisk Forum” Journal, Danmark
Håkan Svenneling, The Left Party’s Foreign Policy Spokesperson, Sweden
Benny Gustavsson, Chairman of the Kurdistan Support Committee, Sweden
Söderham Kurdistan Solidarty Association, Sweden
Allt åt Alla Association, Sweden
Yekbun Alp, Second Vice Chairman The Left International Forum, Sweden
Abbas Mansouran, Epidemiologist
Hosein Moghadam, Political Activist 
Bahram Rahmani, Writer, Political Activist
Prof. Dr. Ueli Mäder, Sociologist, Switzerland
Edibe Gölgeli, Member of the Grand Councillor, Socialist Party, Switzerland
Stefanie Prezioso, Member of the Council of Geneva, Switzerland
Anina Jendreyko, Artist, Switzerland B
Vincent Keller, Member of the Grand Council of Vaud, POP
Benny Gustavsson, Chairman of the Kurdistan Support Committee, Sweden
Berlin Migrant Strikers 
Chris Trinh, Photojournalist and Researcher, Ecology and Migration
Christof Buerkler         
Claudio Cattaneo, Contract Professor Ecological Economics, Autonomous University of Barcelona
CRED/GIGI , The Center for Research and Development for Democracy/International Legal Intervention Group
CUB, Basic Unitary Confederation of workers
DIE LINKE, District Association, Neumünster 
Susanne Schaper und Stefan Hartmann, Chairpersons of DIE LINKE, Sachsen 
Ditte Bjerregaard, Antropolog, Center for Magtanalyse, Danmark
Domenico Gallo, Magistrate of the Court of Cassation of Rome
Dr Sidney Luckett , Cape Town, South Africa
Dr. Dario Azzellini, Political Scientist and Sociologist, Ithaca (USA) and Berlin
Dr. Federico Venturini, Researcher University of Udine – Italy
Dr. Laurence Davis, Director of the BSc Government and Political Science, Department of Government and Politics University College Cork, Ireland
Dr. Mechthild Exo, University, Emden/Leer / Jineolojî Committe Germany
Dziewuchy Berlin       
Edith Bartelmus-Scholich, National Executive Board Member, Die Linke, NRW
Edo Schmidt, Sociologist, Münster,
Elisabetta Gualmini, MEP, S&D
ELYN (European Left Youth Network)
Emanzipatorisch-Ökologischen Plattform         
Emil Olsen, Chief Editor of Antifascistisk Forum” Journal, Danmark
Ende Gelände Leipzig
Ende Gelände München          
Ende Gelände Ortsgruppe Hamburg    
FAU Aachen   
FAU Bonn      
FAU International Committee, Germany          
Fausto Bertinotti, Former president of the Chamber of Deputies in Italy
Feministische Partei DIE FRAUEN      
Franz Klein     
Frauen*Streik Bonn    
Gabriela Cabaña, PhD researcher at the London School of Economics and Political Science
Gegenstrom Hamburg 
Gemeinsam Kämpfen  
Giuliano Pisapia, MEP, S&D
GRÜNE JUGEND Dresden     
Gruppo Diffuso, Verein zur Förderung alternativer Medien e.V. Erlangen
Håkan Svenneling, The Left Party’s Foreign Policy Spokesperson, Sweden
Heike Geisweid, Lawyer, Bochum
Interventionistische Linke        
Irfan Engineer   All India Secular Forum
Jesper Brandt, Professor Emeritus, Roskilde University
Jineoloji Committee Germany 
Josef Danzer    
Youth Commune (Jugendkommune Ş. Sara Dorşîn)    
Jürgen Amend 
Kamal Chenoy, Professor, retd. Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Karl Nümmes  
Kerem Schamberger, Kommunikationswissenschaftler und Bundestagsdirektkandidat der Linken München-Süd
Kira Sawilla, National Executive Board Members,  Die Linke, NRW
Klima Aktion Thüringen         
KOMintern, Communist Trade Union Initiative-International, Vienna/Austria
Communist Student Union      
Kreisvereinigung Hannover der VVN/BdA      
Kunal Chattopadhyay  Professor, Jadavpur University, West Bengal, India
Kurdistan Soli Plenum Marburg           
Kurdistan Solidarity Committee, Kiel, Germany          
Left  Party, Italy           
Left Youth (Linksjugend [‘solid]), Germany     
Left Youth (Linksjugend [‘solid]) Bayern, Germany     
Luigi Vinci, Former MEP 
Manolo Luppichini, Documentarist
Marco Bersani  Attac-Italy
Marcus M. “Nizar” Erpenbach  
Mario Agostinelli, Former Secretary of the Lombardy CGIL, President of the Happy Energy Association
Marta Conde Puigmal  Autonomous University Barcelona
Martina Siehoff, Landesvorstand Die Linke.NRW
Maso Notarianni, Maso Notarianni, President of ARCI (cultural and social association, 4401 clubs) of Milan
Massimo Torelli and Giulia Rodano, Association for the Left for another Europe
Maurizio Acerbo, National secretary of the Communist Refoundation Party
Michael Löwy  social scientist,  Paris, France
Michaela Gincel-Reinhardt, Landesvorstand die Linke NRW
Mihir Desai, Senior Advocate, Vice President Peoples Union of Civil Liberties, India
Minna Katz, Antropolog, Danmark
Mizgin Ciftci, Candidate for the German Bundestag (DIE LINKE)
Moni Ovadia, Actor, Singer, Musician and Writer
Niklas Haupt, Councillor, DIE LINKE, Fürth
Nina Eumann, Spokesperson for Die Linke, NRW
Our House OM10        
Pamela Philipose, Public Editor, The Wire, news and opinion portal, India
Paolo Ferrero, Vice President of the European Left Party, former Minister of the Italian Republic
Patrizia Toia, MEP, S&D
Pernille Frahm  Former MP, Socialist Peoples Party SF, Danmark
Peter Schindler, Member  of the Trade Union for Education and Science (GEW)
Pierre Bance, Doctor of Laws, France
Pradip Kumar Datta, Retd. Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Prof. Dr. Peter Sommerfeld, Institute of Social Work and Health, University of Social Work FHNW
Prof. Dr. Werner Ruf, Peace and Conflict Researcher
Prof. Rajeev Bhargava, Director, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, India
Prof. Dr. med.Ulrich Gottstein, IPPNW Founding and Honorary Board Member
Professor Achin Vanaik, Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, India
Rainer Hahn, Vors. SPD-Ortvereins Meckesheim-Mönchzell
Ralf Dreis, FAU-Frankfurt
Regionalvernetzung München des Netzes der Rebellion          
Research & Degrowth 
Rheinmetall Entwaffnen          
Rudolf Bürgel  Präsidium Landesausschuss DIE LINKE Baden-Württemberg
Ruth Luschnat, Alternative Practitioner, Berlin
Sascha Wegmer, Ortsvereinsvorsitzender SPD Birkenfeld-Gräfenhausen
Schwarzroten Bergsteiger_innen, SRB, AG der FAU Dresden
SDS. Sozialistischer Deutscher Studentenbund 
Seebrücke, BRD
Seebrücke Wiesbaden
Seebrücke Witzenhausen         
Shawn Hattingh, International Labour Research and Information Group (ILRIG), South Africa
Silvana Barbieri, Cultural Association Punto Rosso
Simone Barrientos, MdB Die Linke
Sinistra Italia-Left Party of Italy
Söderham Kurdistan Solidarty Association, Sweden     
Solidaritätsnetz Bern    
Sören Sossong  IG Metall Saarbrücken
Studiengruppe (in)visible borders der Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften Landshut
Systemchange Not Climate Change, Austria
Thies Gleiss, Executive Committee Member of Die Linke
Tomasz Konicz, Author and Journalist, Germany
Urs Köllhofer    DIE LINKE Marburg
Viktoria Schindler       
Villo Sigurdsson, Former Major of Kopenhagen
Vincenzo Vita  President of the Association for the Renewal of the Left, Italy
VVN/BdA, Kreisvereinigung Oldenburg/Friesland
Ya-Basta-Network for Solidarity and Rebellion, Germany        
Yavor Tarinski, Author and Activist, member of the Transnational Institute of Social Ecology (TRISE)
Zerocalcare, Cartoonist, Italy
Zoya Hasan, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi