The North and East Syria Universities Coordination group have strongly condemned Turkey for providing sanctuary to Hatim Ebû Şeqra, a known terrorist and perpetrator of the 2019 murder of Kurdish politician Hevrîn Xelef.
The revelation that Şeqra recently graduated from Mardin Artuklu University in Turkey has sparked outrage and concern among academics.
In a statement read by Rohan Mistefa, co-chair of the North and East Syria Universities Coordination, the group expressed deep dismay and called on international and democratic institutions to take a clear stance against Turkey’s actions. Şeqra and his group, Ahrar al-Sharqiya (Ehrar al-Sharqiyê), are internationally recognised as terrorists by organisations such as the United Nations (UN), Human Rights Watch (HRW), and Amnesty International.
The group emphasised that Turkey’s protection of Şeqra not only violates humanitarian, moral, political, and international standards, but it also sends a deeply troubling message condoning and shielding murderers. They condemned the utilisation of Turkish universities as hubs for waging a special war against the Kurdish people, emphasising the urgent need to safeguard academic institutions from fascist, nationalist, sexist, and religious ideologies.
The Coordination called upon universities and academics to proactively engage in democratic initiatives, highlighting the importance of promoting democracy, upholding human rights, and fostering an environment in which democratic consciousness can flourish.
Ahrar al-Sharqiya and Şeqra have been sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury for human rights abuses, including the killing of civilians, abductions, torture, and trafficking of Yazidi women and children. Hevrîn Xelef, secretary general of the Future Syria Party, was brutally murdered by the Turkish-backed group during a Turkish incursion in October 2019.
