Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Deputy Group Leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, strongly condemned the Turkish drone strike that targeted a civilian convoy near the Tishreen (Tişrîn) Dam on Wednesday. Addressing Turkey’s Grand National Assembly, Koçyiğit described the attack, which reportedly killed several civilians and injured dozens, as a grave violation of international law and a crime against humanity.
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“Targeting civilians constitutes a severe breach of international law, a crime against humanity, and a war crime,” she stated. “We are left questioning: why bomb a civilian convoy? Why deny people their right to travel freely within their own country? Why violate their fundamental right to life? It is incomprehensible.”
Koçyiğit further criticised Turkey’s broader actions in northern Syria, accusing the government of exacerbating instability in a region striving for peace and democracy. “Instead of supporting the construction of a democratic Syria, Turkey is bombing civilian convoys,” she said. “The people of northeastern Syria want to live in their own lands. They want to exist in Syria equally and freely. Syria has already endured so much pain, so much bloodshed and tears, and it is now a country seeking its own democracy and its own future,” she continued.
Koçyiğit called for immediate action, stressing the need for accountability and the protection of civilians. “We call on international organisations not to remain silent in the face of these attacks.”
The attack occurred as the convoy was travelling to a demonstration at the Tishreen Dam, a critical piece of infrastructure in northeast Syria that has been under heavy Turkish bombardment for over a month.
Built in 1999 on the Euphrates River, the Tishreen Dam is one of the most important infrastructure projects in northern Syria, providing electricity and water to millions of people. Turkish forces and allied militias have targeted the dam with heavy artillery, air strikes and drone attacks, raising fears that it could collapse.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the ongoing military escalation in the region, which includes drone strikes and ground offensives by Turkish-backed militias, has resulted in 322 deaths since it began. Among the casualties are 30 civilians, including five women and two children.
The attack on civilians comes amid growing international pressure on Turkey to halt its military operations in northern Syria. US Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs John Bass is scheduled to meet with Turkish officials in Ankara on 9–10 January to address the escalating situation. However, Kurdish officials remain sceptical of international efforts, pointing to the repeated failures of previous US-brokered ceasefire agreements.
The recent attack underscores the critical need for a stronger international response to civilian casualties in northern Syria. Decisive action is essential to prevent further escalation and support stability in the region.
