The Council of Kurdish Society in Austria and its student association, together with other organizations, publicly called on the Austrian federal government to work for an end to the Turkish attacks on North-East Syria.
The Council of Kurdish Society in Austria (FEYKOM) and its student association (YXK / JXK), together with the Socialist Youth (SJ), the Association of Socialist Students in Austria (VSSTÖ) and the Young Generation SPÖ, have written an open letter to the Austrian Federal Government, calling for an end to Turkey's war of aggression against the areas of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES). The letter was signed by more than 50 other personalities from political and public life, as well as organizations, and calls on the Austrian government to take a clear and decisive stand.
Austria must stand up for human rights and peace
Since the offensive that brought down the Assad regime, Turkey has begun attacking the areas controlled by the SDF. There have been massive human rights violations, including the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, the targeted killing of civilians, and the destruction of vital infrastructure that seriously endangers the water and energy supply of the region, the open letter said.
Nurcan Güleryüz, co-chair of the Kurdish umbrella organization in Austria, said: “As a democratic country, Austria must stand up for human rights and peace. It is imperative that the Austrian federal government use its diplomatic channels to persuade Turkey to end this unprovoked war.”
Promote diplomatic balance in the region
The open letter also called on the Austrian government to actively support negotiations between the DAANES and the Syrian transitional government in order to promote a democratic, united and inclusive Syria. “A stable and democratically oriented self-government has emerged in northeast Syria that needs to be supported. The Austrian government must take a clear stance in order to maintain the diplomatic balance in the region and to defend the fundamental values of freedom, democracy and human rights,” said Paul Stich, chair of Socialist Youth.
International solidarity
The signatories also called on the Austrian population to show solidarity with the people of DAANES and to urge the Austrian government to work towards ending the conflict and creating a democratic framework for Syria.
