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A total of 56 women’s organisations gathered in front of the UN headquarters in Qamishlo, northern Syria to condemn Turkey’s 22 July drone strike, which killed three members of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) travelling by car in the Hasakah province.
“This is an attack on women’s will, organised structures, and awareness for freedom,” daily Özgür Politika cited the women as saying.
The three commanders who lost their lives had been involved in actively fighting against the Islamic State (ISIS), they added.
“We do not accept [the Global Coalition against ISIS]’s silence against Turkey’s war crimes. We strongly condemn the Turkish state that is waging a relentless war against the women and people of Northeast Syria,” the women said.
Call for No-Fly Zone
The Kurdish and Syrian women’s organisations demanded that the United Nations declare a no-fly zone over northeast Syria, closing the airspace to all flights from Turkey.
Turkish forces carried out at least 38 attacks since the beginning of 2022, according to UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Drone strikes targeting areas under control of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) killed at least 27 people, including two children and nine women.
Democratic Unity Party (PYD), Kurdistan Democratic Party, Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM), Kongra Star, Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), and Rojava Women’s Committee are among the signatories.
