Waging a war that leads to cutting off water, electricity and roads, and destroying infrastructure, places of worship and schools is exactly what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government is doing in North and East Syria, said Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi on Wednesday, in reference to Erdoğan’s recent comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“The Turkish occupation commits ‘massacres’ and war crimes everyday,” he added.
Erdoğan’s remarks, made on Tuesday, lamented the dire conditions in Gaza and decried the destruction of vital facilities, such as places of worship, hospitals, and schools. He pointedly asked, “Where are the human rights?” Erdoğan reiterated his stance on social media, emphasizing that conducting a conflict through such methods constitutes a “massacre” rather than a war.
The Turkish President further suggested that Israel’s approach could have negative consequences for its global standing.
Erdoğan’s remarks have come at a time where Turkish forces have been conducting a relentless campaign of air, artillery, and drone strikes in Kurdish-held areas of Syria since 5 October. The assault has inflicted severe damage on civilian infrastructure, including gas, water, electricity, and oil facilities. Kurdish-held regions of Syria have borne the brunt of the aggression, with nearly 80 percent of civilian infrastructure suffering damage or destruction.
By Wednesday, civilian casualties had surged to 24, with nine fatalities and 15 injured. On the military front, the number of casualties had risen to 70, with 39 killed and 31 wounded.
