The academics shared their worries over the situation in Afrin with the Pope and called upon him to raise the issue during the meeting with Erdogan.

According to press reports, Pope Francis invited Erdogan to discuss the crisis on Jerusalem that developed after the decision by the US president to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to the city.

“Today, after the defeat of Daesh in Iraq and Syria by the Kurdish forces, Turkey has embarked on a new war - with the attack started on January 19, 2018 - precisely against those Kurds who have defeated Daesh.

The recent Turkish invasion in northern Syria can only mean the beginning of a new bloody conflict that will surely drag the region into a new catastrophe, which will inevitably kill children, bring hunger and will again force the local population to flee” the academics said.

“In the Kurdish region of Afrin and the recently liberated territories from Daesh in Syria, there are not only the Kurds but also Christians, Arabs, Turkmen, Yazidis and other ethnic groups who are trying to live together peacefully in that area. Turkey's aggression against those peoples in Afrin is a blatant violation of international law, but it is also the sabotage of that peaceful experience of coexistence and peace” the statement read.

The academics called Pope Francis to raise the issue during his meeting with Erdogan.

The signatories of the statement are:

Adele Tulli, Director

Alberto Girlando, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Parma

Alessandro Metz, Cooperator and Social Worker - National Vice President Lega Coop Social Alessandro Torcini, Laboratoire de Physique Théorique Université de Cergy-Pontoise France

Alice Franchina, University of the Studies of Palermo (PhD student)

Alisa Del Re, Senior scholar University of Padua

Andrea De Carlo, Professor of the University of Naples "L'Orientale"

Andrea Scella, Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Udine

Angelo Bavaro, Circle of the bagpipe di Scapoli (IS)

Anna Romani, PhD University of Pisa and Florence

Annamaria Deagostino, Professor of the University of Turin

Antonietta Caccia, President of the Scapoli (IS) club,

Antonio Ruggieri, Journalist, Director of the magazine, the Common Good

Arturo Scotto, Deputy of MdP Libero and Uguali

Carlo Balestri, Vice President of the Italian Union of Sport for All, Emilia Romagna

Carlo Freccero - Member of the Board of the RAI

Detjon Begaj, Councilor Coalition Civic, District Santo Stefano (Bologna)

Devi Sacchetto, Professor University of Padua

Eleonora Forenza, European Parliamentarian, Gue / Ngl

Emily Clancy, Councilor Coalizione Civica, Municipality of Bologna

Ennio Carbone, Full Professor in Pathology, University of Catanzaro

Erasmo Palazzotto, Member of the Italian Parliament - Italian Left / Liberi and Equuali - Vice President of Foreign Affairs Commission

Fabrizio Saccomanno, Theater Man, Lecce

Fausto Tomei, Councilor for Civic Coalition, District of Porto Saragozza (Bologna)

Francesca Koch, President of the International Women's Home Rome

Frida Valsecchi, Dr. Radiologa

Federico Montanari, University Professor Modena-Reggio Emilia

Federica Giardini, Roma Tre University

Federico Martelloni, Councilor Coalizione Civica, City of Bologna

Francesco Biagi, Research Fellow at the Italian Institute for Philosophical Studies in Naples 

Francesco Miazzi , Spokesperson Committee Let Us Breathe - Monselice / Padua

Francesco Sticchi, Oxford Brookes University researcher

Franco Novelli, teacher

Fulvio Vassallo Palaeologus, President of the Rights and Borders Association (ADIF)

Gabriella Antonelli, Molise Cultural Heritage Society

Giancarlo Ambrogio Vitali, Co-President Civic Coalition Assembly Bologna

Giancarlo Ranalli, Professor of University of Molise

Gianfranco Bettin, Sociologist and writer - President of the Municipality of Marghera - Venice

Giovanni Paglia, Member of the Italian Parliament - Italian Left / Free and Equal

Gianluigi Gherzi, man of the theater

Gino de Paolis, Regional Councilor Lazio

Giorgio Barbarini, Head of Unit Simple Policlinico San Matteo University of Pavia

Giovanni Marco De Pieri, Co-President of the Civic Coalition Bologna

Giso Amendola, Professor of the University of Salerno

Giulio Garuti, former Professor of the University of Bologna

Giorgio Gallo, University of Pisa

Giuseppe Mosconi, Professor of the University of Padua

Giuseppe Tadolini, Doctor

Giustina Selvelli, Post-doc Researcher (Erasmus Mundus)

Irene Soldati, Co-President Assembly Civic Coalition Bologna

Isabella Astorri, President of the Society for Cultural Heritage of Molise

Laura Corradi, Researcher Gender Studies and Intersectional Methodology University of Calabria

Leonardo De Franceschi, PhD, Assistant Professor Roma Tre University

Leonardo Tancredi, Editorial Director Piazza Grande, newspaper of homeless people (Bologna)

Lia Migale, Writer and economist

Livio Sera, Collettivo Alter.POLIS - Polytechnic of Turin

Luca Bernardini, Associate Professor, University of Milan

Marco Trotta, Councilor Coalizione Civica, San Donato district (Bologna)

Marina D'Altri, Co-President Civic Coalition Bologna

Marco Brazzoduro, Former Professor Sapienza, Rome; president association Cittadinanza e minoranze

Luca Casarini, Regional Secretary of the Italian Left - Sicily

Marco Cossutta, University of Trieste

Marcella Delle Donne university teacher Sapienza

Maria Caterina Federici, Full Professor of General Sociology Faculty of Education, University of Perugia

Marina Marini, Associate Professor of Applied Biology Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine - University of Bologna,

Marina Vitale, Anglista, Retired Professor former University of Naples "L'Orientale"

Marta Bonafoni, Regional Councilor Lazio

Martina Caironi, Paralympic Champion

Massimiliano Rinaldi, University Researcher

Massimo De Vita, Man of Theater, Human Rights activist

Maurizio Acerbo, National Secretary of the PRA

Mauro Parodi, Full Professor - Politecnico School of the University of Genoa

Moni Ovadia, Man of the theater and human rights activist

Nicola De Luigi, Professor of the University of Bologna

Nicola Fratoianni, National Secretary of the Italian Left - Member of Parliament - Free and Equal

Paolo Barrucci, Professor of Sociology, University of Florence

Paola D'Alconzo Associate Professor of Museology and Restoration University of Naples Federico II

Prof. Hans Spinnler, former professor of Neurology of the University of Milan

Renzo Ulivieri, National President of the Italian Association of Coaches

Roberto Michele Suozzi, Doctor and Clinical Pharmacologist and specialist in Sports Medicine

Sandro Chignola, Professor of the University of Padua

Sandro Mezzadra, Professor of the University of Bologna - Professor New School of Social Research, NewYork

Simona Taliani, Researcher at the University of Turin

Stefano Galieni, Journalist

Stefano Visentin, Professor of the University of Urbino

Simona Taliani, PhD Anthropologist Assistant Professor Dep. of Cultures, Politics and Society, Turin

Valentina Pazé, Professor, University of Turin

Vittorio Agnoletto, Professor at the University of Milan

Vittorio Dini, University Professor