Barcelona Mayor and over 100 academics, politicians, and human rights activists call for immediate halt to Turkish aggression toward Afrin in Syria.
Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, has joined Noam Chomsky and leading academics, including Judith Butler of U.C. Berkeley, Michael Hardt of Duke, Michael Walzer of Princeton, David Graeber of the London School of Economics, and a number of politicians, union leaders, and human rights activists from Argentina to Italy in calling for Russia, Iran and the United States to stop Turkish aggression toward the peaceful enclave of Afrin in northern Syria. The statement, initially signed by 15 prominent academics and supporters of the Kurds, has quickly grown to include more than 100 additional signatories from leading universities and institutions across Europe and the United States.
Since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan began his assault on Afrin on January 20, 2018, Turkish warplanes have bombed civilians, forcing people into basements and caves to avoid airstrikes. They have destroyed medical and aid facilities, including the headquarters of the Kurdish Red Crescent in Afrin. They have crushed historical sites that illustrate the rich past of Northern Syria's peoples. They have employed jihadist gangs that have promised to "kill every atheist Kurd in Afrin" and whose presence makes Christians and Yezidis fear more massacres like those committed by ISIS. More than 100 civilians have been killed and more than 150 injured, mostly women and children. More than 5000 people have been displaced.
The attack by Erdogan, “is a blatant act of aggression against a peaceful and democratically-governed region and population,” the signatories said, noting that such an act of aggression can only be carried out by Turkey with the approval of the U.S., Russia and Iran. “The U.S and international community have a moral obligation to stand behind the Kurdish people now. We call on U.S. officials and the international community to guarantee Afrin’s stability and security and prevent further Turkish aggression from within Syria and across the Syrian border.”
The appeal, presented to U.S. senators and congressmen, asks that they reject Erdogan’s false characterization of the Syrian Kurdish forces as “terrorists” and intervene to protect the Kurds who have been our greatest partners in defeating ISIS and who have taken several hundred thousand internally displaced persons into Afrin alone during the course of the Syrian war. One of several appeals now circulating in Europe and the U.S., it is hoped that world leaders will address the call of these academic experts and human rights activists to bring a halt to Erdogan’s unprovoked shelling of Afrin and denounce the unilateral violence that is evidence of his increasingly genocidal behavior toward the Kurds. See full statement attached below.
DO NOT LET AFRIN BECOME ANOTHER KOBANE
We, the undersigned academics and human rights activists, insist that the leaders of Russia, Iran, and the U.S. ensure that the sovereignty of Syrian borders is not breached by Turkey and that the people of Afrin in Syria, be allowed to live in peace.
Afrin, whose population is predominantly Kurdish, is one of the most stable and secure regions in Syria. With very little international aid, Afrin has taken in so many Syrian refugees in the last five years that its population has doubled to more than 400,000. Afrin is now surrounded by enemies: Turkish-supported jihadi groups, al Qaeda, and Turkey.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has begun to attack the U.S. military’s Kurdish partners – the Kurdish YPG or People’s Protection Units – with which the US has been allied against ISIS. Turkey accuses the YPG of being “terrorists” despite the YPG’s long track record of setting up local democratic governing councils in each of the towns it has liberated from ISIS and its repeated statements that it has no interest in Turkey and wishes to function only as a defense force for Syrian Kurds and other ethnicities living in the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria (DFNS), also known as “Rojava,” which includes Afrin.
Turkey has massed an enormous military force on the Afrin border and President Erdogan has promised to attack the Kurdish-controlled canton with full force, annihilating a peaceful enclave, and putting thousands of civilians and refugees at risk, all in pursuit of its vendetta against the Kurds.
An attack of this kind against the peaceful citizens of Afrin is a blatant act of aggression against a peaceful and democratically-governed region and population. Turkey cannot carry out such an attack without the approval of Russia, Iran and Syria – and inaction by the U.S. to stop it. The Kurdish people have endured the loss of thousands of young men and women who joined the YPG, and YPJ women’s force, to rid the world of ISIS. The U.S and international community have a moral obligation to stand behind the Kurdish people now. We call on U.S. officials and the international community to guarantee Afrin’s stability and security and prevent further Turkish aggression from within Syria and across the Syrian border.
Signed,
Noam Chomsky, MIT Professor Emeritus
Michael Walzer, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University, Professor Emeritus
Charlotte Bunch, Distinguished Professor of Women's and Gender Studies, Rutgers University
Todd Gitlin, sociologist and Chair, PhD Program in Communications, Columbia University
David Graeber, Professor of Anthropology, London School of Economics UK
Nadje Al-Ali, Professor of Gender Studies, SOAS University of London UK
David Harvey, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Geography, CUNY Graduate Center
Michael Hardt, political philosopher and Professor of Literature, Duke University
Marina Sitrin, Assistant Professor of Sociology, SUNY Binghamton
Ann Snitow, activist and Associate Professor, New School
Bill Fletcher, Jr., former President of TransAfrica Forum
David L. Phillips, Director, Program on Peace-building and Rights, Columbia University
Joey Lawrence, photographer and filmmaker
Meredith Tax, writer and organizer, North America Rojava Alliance
Debbie Bookchin, journalist and author, NARA
Co-signed by:
Ada Colau, Mayor, Barcelona, Spain
Gerardo Pisarello, First Deputy Mayor of the City of Barcelona
Laura Pérez, Councilor for Feminism, LGBTI and International Relations of the City of Barcelona
Sónia Farré, Deputy Spokesperson, Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Congress of Deputies
Dr. Thomas Siebert, Medico International Human Rights Coordinator
Judith Butler, philosopher and Professor, University of California, Berkeley
Adem Uzun, Executive Committee Member of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK)
Lisa Mazzone, Member of Parliament, Green Party, Switzerland
Hon. Silvia Giacoppo, National Senator, Argentina
Julie Ward, Member of the European Parliament, UK
Abdullah Demirbas, former Major Diyarbakir Sur district, founding member of Council of Forty
Fernanda Gil Lozano, Parliamentary Vice President of Budget Committee, Mercosur,
Emily Clancy, City Councilor, Bologna Italy (Coalizione Civica per Bologna)
Brunella Guida, City Councilor, Bologna, Italy (Coalizione Civica per Bologna)
Margret Kiener Nellen, Swiss Parliament V.P. AP OSCE, Member of IPU Executive Committee
Dr. Kamran Matin, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Sussex University, UK
Dr. Daniel Bendix, University of Kassel, Germany
Prof. Jens Wissel, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Muriel Gonźalez, historian, assistant profesor, Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB)
Prof. Dr. Aram Ziai Heisenberg-Professorship, University of Kassel, Germany
Prof Dr. Reinhart Kössler, former Director, Arnold Bergstraesser Institut, Freiburg, Germany
Benedikt Krüger, M.A. in Literature and Philosophy, Frankfurt (Oder) / Berlin, Germany
Joel Whitebook, PhD., faculty of the Columbia University Psychoanalytic Center, US
Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor, Tikkun Magazine, Berkeley, CA
Michael Korbmacher, on behalf of the magazine Peripherie, Münster, Germany
Elena Gagliasso, associate professor, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
Andrej Grubacic, Chair of the Anthropology and Social Change Department, CIIS San Francisco
Dr. Tobias Schmitt, Institute for Geography, University of Hamburg, Germany
Doug Nicholls, General Secretary, General Federation of Trade Unions, UK
Stephen Smellie, Deputy Convenor, UNISON Scotland
Bert Schouwenburg, International Officer, GMB
Christine Blower, International Secretary, National Union of Teachers, UK
Dr. Annette Lawson, Chair of the Judith Trust, UK
Dr. Radha D’Souza, author and Reader in Law, Westminster University and India Matters, UK
Bernd Belina, Professor of Human Geography, Goethe Universiät, Frankfurt am Main
Jonathan Steele, International Affairs commentator, UK
Margaret Owen OBE, international human rights lawyer, UK
Richard Norton-Taylor, editor, journalist and playwright, UK
Tariq Ali, writer, journalist and political activist, UK
Marco Celentano, researcher, Università di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale, Terni, Italy
Karl-Ludwig Schibel, Practical Utopias Agency, region of Perugia, Italy
James Kelman, writer, Scotland
Maxine Peake, Actor, UK
Rahila Gupta, writer and journalist, UK
Dr. Thomas Jeffrey Miley, Lecturer, Fellow of Darwin College, The University of Cambridge, UK
Dr. Andy Higginbottom, Associate Professor, Senior Fellow, Kingston University, UK
Trevor Rawnsley, Widening participation fellow City University London, UK
Brian Tokar, on behalf of the Institute for Social Ecology, Vermont, US
Stan Newens, President of “Liberation,” former Member of Parliament, UK
Aziz Choudry, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair, McGill University, Canada
Nick Hildyard, policy advisor, UK
Dr. Tom Wakeford, Coventry University, UK
Steve Sweeney, journalist, UK
Kariane Westrheim, Professor, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway
Les Levidow, Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC) UK
Martin Mair, master of engineering, Academy of Applied Unemployment, Vienna
Dario Azzellini, Visiting Research Fellow at the ILR School, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Dr. Friederike Habermann, economist and historian, Germany
Michael Baron, writer, UK
Barry White, journalist, UK
John Hunt, journalist, UK
Jane Reid, trustee of various charities, UK
Lucy Carter, art historian, UK
Chris den Hond, filmmaker, France
Prof Jacky Jones, UWU Bristol, European Women Lawyers Association, UK
Lindsey German, convenor, Stop the War Coalition, UK
Dr. Federico Venturini, independent activist-researcher, Italy
Dr. John Rees, visiting research fellow, Goldsmiths University of London
Steve Cushion, secretary, University and College Union (UCU) London Retired Members Branch
David Morgan, journalist, UK
Melanie Gingell, barrister, UK
Charlotte Onslow, conflict conciliation and international relations advisor, UK
Tony Simpson, Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, UK
Pep Puig i Boix, PhD engineer, Alternativa Verda - Green Alternative, Catalonia
Colm Massey, Solidarity Economy Association Ltd., UK
Dr. Amy Bartholomew, Assoc. Professor, Law and Legal Studies, Carleton University, Canada
Ned Parish, Plaid Cymru, Cardiff Central, Cardiff Wales
Fatih Seyhanoglu, Kurdish Interfaith Council, US
Anna Rebrii, CUNY student, NYC, US
Bianca Bagatourian, Playwright, Activist, US
Eleanor Finley, PhD Student, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, US
Cora Roelofs, Assistant Professor, Tufts University, Friends of Rojava in North America, US
Zaher Arif, writer, activist, UK
Jo Magpie, journalist, writer, UK
Rachel Chapman, PhD Student, The Graduate Center, CUNY, US
Elif Sarican, Kurdish Students Union, UK
Estella Schmid, Peace in Kurdistan Campaign, UK
Mehmet Ugur, Professor of Economics and Institutions, University of Greenwich, UK
Dirk Campbell ARCM, Composer, Lewes UK
Ruken Isik, PhD Student, University of Maryland, US
Huseyin Tunc, researcher, Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University
Vincent Gerber, journalist and author, Geneva, Switzerland
Dr. Peter Archard, historian, London, UK
Dr Bengi Akbulut, Assistant Professor, Concordia University, Montreal
Akif Wan, Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) UK representative
Shahrzad Mojab, University of Toronto, Canada
Mustafa Ali, Engineer, Calgary, Canada
Gulay Kilicaslan, PhD Candidate, York University, UK
Sardar Saadi, PhD Candidate, Anthropology, University of Toronto, Canada
Antonio Negri, philosopher, Paris
Martino Seniga, journalist, Rome, Italy
Tanja Scheiterbauer, Research Associate, Dept. of Political Science, Goethe Universität, Frankfurt a.M.
Necibe Qeredaxi, Jineolojî Center, Brussels (Belgium)
Dr. Alan Asman, writer, UK
Azad Dewani, PhD researcher of Peace Studies, and human rights advocate, UK.
Janet Biehl, writer, activist, translator, Vermont, US
Leandro Vergara-Camus, Senior Lecturer in Development Studies, SOAS University of London
Manjeet Ramgotra, Sr. Teaching Fellow, Dept. Politics and International Studies, University of London
Prof. Dr. Richard Sorg, D-20144 Hamburg (Germany), Hansastr. 36.
Susanne Spindler, Professor of Social Work and Migration, University of Applied Sciences, Düsseldorf
Anna Krämer, political scientist and civic education trainer, Frankfurt, Germany
John Faulkner, Administrator SOAS, University of London UK
Dr. Patrick Neveling, Senior Researcher, Dept. of Social Anthropology, University of Bergen, Norway
Prof. Yair Wallach, SOAS, University of London
Dr. Paul O'Connell, Associate Dean for Research, Law and Social Sciences, SOAS, University of London
Sheila Mosley, Support Kurds in Syria - SKS/ Leicester Kurdish Solidarity Campaign, UK
Cemalettin Cinkilic, painter, fine art student at Middlesex University London, UK
Kit Ashton, PhD student, Goldsmiths College, University of London
Dr Dara Salam, teaching fellow, SOAS University of London, UK
Tom Armstrong, UCU Branch President, SOAS, University of London, UK
Dr. Gina Heathcote SOAS University of London, UK
Alfredo Saad Filho, Professor of Political Economy, SOAS University of London, UK
Professor Machiko Nissanke, SOAS, University of London, UK
Chris Nickolay, storyteller, UK
Elif Genc, PhD student, Adjunct Professor Manhattan Marymount College, New York, USA
Laurin Mackowitz, philosopher, Activist, Research Assistant University of Alberta, CA
Svante Malmström, activist and organizer, Transnational Institute of Social Ecology, Finland
Yavor Tarinski, TRISE, Athens, Greece
Amin Othman , journalist, Community Rojava Vancouver,Canada
Eva Mayr, peace activist, Austria
Jenny Künkel, geographer, Humboldt University Berlin
Professor Eva Jablonka, Tel-Aviv University Tel-Aviv, Israel
Sarah Parker, retired, London UK
Pierre Wyrsch, bookseller, Geneva, Switzerland
Cliff Ashcroft, writer, UK
Ahmet Tari, physicist, UK
Monika Vogel, Chair, Green Party of Maintal, Germany
Fritz Koch, AG der Sozialdemokraten, of the Social Democratic Party, Sachsenhausen, Frankfurt a. M.
North America Rojava Alliance
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