Last Thursday, 200 internationalists from 37 countries started a Long March from Luxembourg to Strasbourg to demand freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and to call for an immediate end to the Turkish military operation against Afrin.

The internationalists were joined by intellectuals, artists academic, politicians, sportspeople and representatives of civil society organizations organized by the European Platform for Afrin with the participation of 82 institutions and establishments.

The Lausanne-Geneva stage of the Long March has been launched today following a press statement under the motto “UN stop the genocide in Afrin”.

In the press statement, the United Nations was urged to act immediately to stop the massacres in Afrin.

The internationalists were joined by intellectuals, artists academic, politicians, sportspeople and representatives of civil society organizations organized by the European Platform for Afrin with the participation of 82 institutions and establishments and politicians from Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria and many other countries.

The Lausanne-Geneva stage of the Long March has been launched today following a press statement by the European Platform for Afrin at Riponne Place under the motto “UN stop the genocide in Afrin”.

The statement pointed out that the AKP-MHP fascist government imposed war, death and destruction on the peoples of Turkey and Kurdistan as the only way to continue their ruling, acting in a discriminative, assimilative and destructive manner by considering all different identities, cultures and faith groups a threat to itself.

“We refuse the Turkish state’s war and invasion that targets the peoples of Kurdistan on the basis of Afrin, and we declare that we stand with the fair and legitimate struggle of Afrin people. As people from Kurdistan, Turkey, Assyrian, Armenian, Ezidi, Alevi, Christian, Muslim communities and revolutionaries and democrats from Europe, we are resisting and we will continue our resistance.”

The statement underlined that the Turkish state’s invasion attempt and massacre in Afrin was an attack against the will of peoples, a crime against humanity according to international law and a genocide according to the UN norms.

“The silence of the U.S., Russia, European countries, regional and global states makes them an accomplice to the invasion attempt of the Turkish state. They should immediately end their plans, tactical games and dirty policies that target the future of our peoples”, the statement read.

“Massacres of the Turkish state become even more unrestrained due to the silence of the United Nations, the raison d'être and mission of which is to stop massacres and genocides. We are walking from Lausanne to Geneva to break this silence of the UN and make it issue a sanction against the massacre in Afrin.”

The statement addressed to the world public opinion as follows;

- The Turkish state is perpetrating a genocide and committing a crime against humanity in Afrin.

- The Turkish state’s attacks against Afrin strengthen and open space for barbaric ISIS that became a menace to the world.

- The Turkish state’s invasion attempt constitutes a crime according to international law, for which reason the Turkish state must immediately face diplomatic, economic and military embargo.

- The United Nations must immediately convene, condemn and take a stand against the Turkish state’s policy of invasion and genocide against Afrin.

- Rojava border must be declared no-fly zone in order to prevent further invasion attempts, genocides and ensure the stability and security of the region.

- Afrin has been the most stable and democratic region during the 7 years of Syrian civil war. Turkey must stand trial at international courts because of its massacres against civilians, who include women and children, in Afrin.

- For all these reasons, we invite the United Nations, all international forces and institutions to take on responsibility and fulfil their mission.

YÜKSEL KOÇ: UN MUST ACT

Speaking after the press statement, KCDK-E (European Kurdish Democratic Society Congress) Co-chair Yuksel Koç said; “We are addressing the world from Lausanne, the place where a dagger was stabbed into the heart of Kurdistan 95 years ago. Those who imposed annihilation on us by dividing Kurdistan into four parts are attacking Afrin today to obstruct the gains of the Kurds. We as peoples of the world call on these forces to give up on this politics because they will not triumph over the resisting peoples.”

RIELLER: TURKISH STATE’S ATTACKS ARE UNACCEPTABLE

The Socialist Party of Switzerland (SP) Federal MP Laurence Fhilmann Rielle condemned the attacks against Afrin and called upon Europe and Switzerland to act against the Turkish state’s invasion attempt.

Remarking that the Turkish state is acting with ISIS, Rielle said; “It is unacceptable to leave the Kurds, who present the most democratic system in the region and whom we support in the fight against ISIS, alone in the face of the Turkish state’s attacks. Solidarity with Afrin must be enhanced.”

DİCLE: AFRIN IS STALIGRAD FOR THE KURDS

Kurdish politician Hatip Dicle from Northern Kurdistan stressed that the main goal of the Turkish state’s attacks against Afrin was to obstruct the gains of the Kurds and open new spaces for ISIS.

Criticizing the world’s silence, Dicle said the following regarding the resistance in Afrin; “Afrin is Stalingrad fort he Kurds. The people of Afrin who resisted against pro-slavery rulings throughout history are again resisting against fascist regimes today and they will triumph. Afrin is the name of epic resistance, Afrin is invincible and its enemies are doomed to defeat.”

PAYOT: WE STAND WITH THE RESISTANCE OF AFRIN

Lausanne Municipal Council Member David Payot said “We stand with the resistance mounted against colonialist forces in Afrin.”

Payot remarked that they will never accept the attacks against Afrin and called on international forces to act against the Turkish state.

Politicians and representatives who spoke after Payor condemned the Turkish attacks against Afrin and called on the United Nations to act for Afrin.

Following the speeches, the march kicked off with the motto “UN stop the massacre in Afrin”.