An international petition has been launched calling on Europe to halt its support for the Syrian transitional government and to support the Kurds in response to attacks on Kurdish civilians in Aleppo.
The petition, which can be signed here, points out that tens of thousands of civilians were fleeing Aleppo, where the Syrian army under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, was carrying out an offensive against the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid.
These operations have forced more than 140,000 people to flee, caused massive destruction of civilian infrastructure, and resulted in numerous deaths among women, men, and children, says the petition, which further includes the following:
Who is al-Jolani?
Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, is the former leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an armed organization that emerged from al-Qaeda’s structures in Syria and has historically been involved in massacres and extremist violence.
He led factions that took control of large parts of Idlib and Aleppo in recent years, before being appointed president of the Syrian transitional authority in 2025.
This same man, whose trajectory is inseparable from jihadist coalitions, now stands at the center of Syrian power, without his past or the methods of his forces having been subject to any real break or accountability process.
Regional complicity: Turkey
Turkey is a key actor in northern Syria, providing political support, intelligence, military equipment, drones, and operational backing to militias allied with Ankara, some of which have been involved in offensives against civilian populations and Kurdish forces.
Operations such as “Dawn of Freedom,” launched in late 2024 with Turkish support, have enabled these factions to advance against Kurdish areas, worsening regional instability and multiplying attacks on civilians.
Kurds, Druze, Alawites: victims of violent transitions
Since the overthrow of the previous regime in 2024, entire communities(Kurds, Druze, and Alawites) have, in several regions, been targeted by hostilities, mass arrests, and indiscriminate violence.
The Kurds of Syria, particularly in Aleppo, are now fighting to preserve their security, their right to autonomy, and their place in a pluralistic society, in the face of a power that prioritizes force and exclusion.
Recent events in Aleppo: established facts
Since early January 2026:
the Syrian army has launched an offensive against Kurdish neighborhoods despite ceasefire agreements;
more than 150,000 civilians have been displaced by Turkish-backed militias and the al-Jolani regime. Crimes against humanity have been committed and are circulating on social media.
These acts of violence reflect a deep political crisis, fueled by regional and international interests, with civilian populations as the primary victims.
What does the SDF truly represent?
The Syrian Democratic Forces are not merely a military force.
They embody an egalitarian, feminist, ecological, and democratic political project, based on the coexistence of peoples, equality between women and men, citizen participation, social justice, and respect for minorities.
In a Middle East ravaged by authoritarianism, sectarianism, and armed patriarchy, they represent one of the rare credible and emancipatory political experiences, and they have been the main forces fighting ISIS on the ground.
Citizen appeal
We, the undersigned, call for:
the immediate suspension of all direct financial aid to the Syrian state under al-Jolani’s leadership
an end to any collaboration with or political recognition of a regime stemming from jihadism and its allies;
the redirection of European funding toward civilian populations and toward the only democratic forces engaged in the fight against ISIS, the protection of minorities, and the stabilization of the region: the SDF and Kurdish authorities that respect human rights;
targeted sanctions against political and military officials involved in attacks against civilian populations;
effective support for international mechanisms investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in this conflict.