On Tuesday 17 December, representatives of the European Parliament convened with delegates from North and East Syria to discuss the threats posed by Turkey to the region and to take action to prevent attacks by Turkish-affiliated forces.
During the meeting, Andreas Schieder, a representative from the Austrian Social Democratic Party in the European Parliament, addressed the challenges faced by Syria and Rojava (the Kurdish-majority autonomous region of northeastern Syria). He stressed the importance of holding further conferences on the Kurdish issue and stated:
“We are obligated to support all ethnic groups under attack by the Turkish state, particularly the Syrian Kurds, and to uphold our responsibility towards them. Our goal is to maintain peace and stability in the region, ensuring continued security. Protecting democracy and freedoms is essential. Currently, we are witnessing attacks by the Turkish government on the region, specifically targeting the Kurds, which could have tragic consequences. This is why we raise our voices in protest.”
Evin Incir, a Swedish politician of Kurdish descent and member of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, who has served as a Member of the European Parliament since the 2019 elections, reiterated the need to halt the ‘terrorist and unlawful’ actions of Erdoğan and Turkey in northeastern Syria. She stated:
“If Kurds had not stopped ISIS, this darkness would have reached our doorsteps in Europe.”
The leader of the EU Left Group, Martin Schirdewan, also spoke at the conference, advocating for the recognition of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and the establishment of diplomatic relations with it. He stated: “The days when the EU played a meaningful political role in the Middle East are long gone, and today, intolerable double standards have once again emerged.”
Schirdewan condemned the European Commission’s silence regarding Turkey’s “illegal war against Kurdistan”, which has persisted for years, calling it deafening. The co-chair of the Left Group in the European Parliament further criticised the widespread disregard for the reality of the Kurds by European states and their indifference to Turkey’s attacks against them.
Schirdewan criticised the EU’s stance on Turkish President Erdoğan, accusing him of collaborating with the jihadist Syrian National Army (SNA), which controls Turkish-occupied areas in northern Syria and is infamous for war crimes.
“Erdoğan, who dreams of a Greater Ottoman Empire, works with militias that enslave women and children, and whose actions against Kurds and Yazidis resemble ISIS,” he said.
“Turkey must stop the war against Kurdistan,” he urged. Schirdewan also lamented the lack of recognition for the Kurds’ role in defeating ISIS. Lastly, he pointed out that HTS leader al-Jolani, now using his real name, is a UN-listed terrorist.
