Turkey accused of war crimes. "Daily massacres"
Syrian Kurds claim that Turkish forces are committing war crimes. They responded in this way to the term "massacre", which the President of Turkey used to describe Israel's actions towards Palestinians. By order of Recep Erdogan, the military is conducting an operation against the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
12:20 PM EDT, October 12, 2023
The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced on Wednesday an escalation of Ankara's ongoing military campaign against the Kurdish-aligned military group in Northeast Syria.
Since October 4, Turkey has been shelling the Kurdish-ruled zone with drones, fighters, and artillery in response to a suicide bomb attack on the Turkish police headquarters in Ankara, allegedly carried out by a pair of PKK fighters, according to Turkish authorities. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Ankara has evidence that the attackers came to Turkey from northeastern Syria. The Turks have considered all objects associated with the SDF as "legitimate targets". The Turkish Ministry of Defense stated that since October 9, they have "neutralized 150 terrorists" since the start of the operation, which also included northern Iraq.
After a Sunday cabinet meeting, Erdogan boasted that unlike Israel, "Turkey does not kill children". Kurdish officials in Syria immediately responded and stated that as of Wednesday, there were 11 civilians among the victims of Turkish attacks, including five women and two children.
"Massacres" of Turkish forces
The Supreme Commander of the SDF, Mazlum Kobane, wrote on Twitter: "The statement of the Turkish president calling the war leading to the cutting off of water, electricity, and roads, and the destruction of infrastructure, places of worship, and schools 'massacres' is exactly what his government is doing in northeastern Syria. The Turkish occupation commits massacres and war crimes every day."
- These Turkish airstrikes against us are war crimes against all international laws and regulations," said Bedran Ciya Kurd, foreign affairs spokesperson for the SDF's civilian wing, known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, at a Tuesday press conference.
