Kurdistan Parliament convenes to discuss developments in northern Syria
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Parliament convened on Tuesday to discuss the latest situation in the Kurdish-majority region of northern Syria amid an ongoing Turkish military operation in the area.
The meeting started at 11 a.m. local time at the request of the head of the parliamentary political factions.
The factions are expected to explore options to send a parliamentary delegation to northeastern Syria to assess the developments and prepare a report on the humanitarian situation in the area, a Kurdish lawmaker told Kurdistan 24 before the session started on Tuesday.
On Oct. 9, the Presidency of the Kurdistan Parliament issued a statement calling on Turkey to halt its military campaign in northern Syria, also known as Rojava or Western Kurdistan.
The parliament previously expressed its “grave concern” over the consequences of the campaign. The Parliament’s Presidency demanded an immediate end to the military operation and said problems between all parties should be resolved through peaceful dialogue.
“The Turkish military campaign comes at a time when the war against terror has not yet ended, and the civilians in the areas live in instability and insecurity. The military action does not resolve the problems; it only makes the situation worse. These problems must end through dialogue,” a statement the Presidency of Kurdistan Parliament issued read.
“We call on the international community, especially the United States, Russia, Britain, and France, to intervene and make concerted efforts to stop the Turkish military campaign, and to create the right environment for a return to dialogue without resorting to military force.”
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Turkish campaign in the area has killed about 60 civilians and displaced over 130,000 people.
The parliament’s statement also strongly condemned the military campaign because it exposes civilians to shelling and bombardment, adding the Turkish offensive comes at a time when “the Kurdish people are proud to be at the forefront of the battle against” the so-called Islamic State.
“The continuation of military action will create fertile ground for terrorists, will reverse the outcome of military successes against terrorism, and jeopardizes regional and global peace and stability.”
On Monday, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced the arrival of the first group of Syrian refugees – about 180 people – to the Kurdistan Region through the Fishkhabor border crossing.
Read More: First group of Syrian refugees arrive in Kurdistan Region
The Kurdistan Region already hosts 1.1 million internally displaced persons and refugees who had fled from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany