Kongra Star Women’s Movement has condemned recent Turkish airstrikes on North and East Syria, appealing to media outlets to spotlight the attacks, which it says violate international law and endanger women’s rights achievements in the region. The statement, issued on Saturday, highlights extensive civilian infrastructure damage and loss of life over the past three days.
The attacks, Kongra Star reported, have affected at least 50 locations across North and East Syria, including electricity stations, food and health facilities, and key infrastructure such as oil and fuel sites. “Turkey’s actions have caused extensive material damage, disrupted electricity to many villages, and impacted essential services, leaving 48 wounded and resulting in 17 fatalities,” Kongra Star said in their statement. The strikes, they added, have worsened a deepening crisis in electricity, water, and fuel supplies ahead of winter, compounded by an influx of refugees from Lebanon.
Kongra Star alleges that Turkey aims to destabilise the region under the guise of counter-terrorism, pushing North and East Syria towards insecurity that could allow ISIS to resurge. “Turkey’s justification for these strikes is a pretext to legitimise illegal actions and war crimes,” the statement contends, underscoring that the attacks disrupt reconstruction and basic services essential to civilian survival.
The Women’s Movement further stressed the need for international media to amplify the situation, criticising the silence of the global community and offering resources and interview partners for coverage. “As media professionals, we urge you not to follow the silence and report on attacks that violate international law,” the group stated, linking to updates and reports detailing the impact of the strikes across the region.
In a recent message to ANHA, Foza Yûsif, a member of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) Presidential Council, expressed support for Kongra Star’s statement, condemning Turkey’s recent military operations in northern and eastern Syria. Yûsif stated that these attacks “target and massacre women and children and should be considered war crimes.”
She called on Turkish President Erdoğan to halt the military offensives in North and East Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan, urging a peaceful resolution to the Turkish-Kurdish conflict. Yûsif emphasised that “if the Kurdish question is solved, it will also be a rebirth for the Turkish Republic.”
