Kurdistan Parliament delegates: Similar to Kirkuk, world remains silent over attack on Afrin

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Delegates of the Kurdistan Region’s Parliament on Monday made an appeal for Kurdish unity during their visit to Afrin and criticized the international community for remaining silent on the Turkish military incursion into Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava).

The delegation arrived in Afrin on Sunday evening to deliver medical supplies to hospitals in the Kurdish enclave.

The delegates in who traveled to Afrin are Ali Halo from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Abbas Fatah from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Sherko Hama-Amin from Gorran (Change), Abu Karwan from the Communist Party of Kurdistan, and Sohrab Mikael from the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU).

In a press conference held in the besieged city on Monday, Halo, on behalf of the Kurdistan Parliament, spoke highly of the Kurdish fighters’ resistance and that of the people of Afrin against the Turkish military operation which began on Jan. 20.

“Afrin is under attack, and [the assailing forces] are using advanced and modern weaponry. But, the people in this region have proven that a nation with determination is stronger than the enemies and the occupiers, regardless of their sophisticated arsenal,” Halo added.

“Twenty-four days have passed since the start of the Afrin military operation, and the international community has remained silent. The same silence resonated when Kirkuk was attacked in October 2017,” the Kurdish lawmaker argued.

He called on all Kurdish parties from all parts of Greater Kurdistan to set aside their personal and political interests and “unite.” 

“Success for the Kurds lies in their collective strength. Unity is the key to solve all Kurdish issues,” he affirmed.

The Kurdish official also asked Kurds across the globe to provide moral and financial support to the people of Afrin, explaining that the Kurdish enclave had been surrounded for years, affecting its autonomy.

The delegation noted that they would take the message of the people of Afrin with them to the Kurdistan Region and pass it along to the international community.

The Kurdistan Parliament on Jan. 30 held a special session on the Turkish military operation in Afrin. As a result of the meeting, the Parliament elected to send humanitarian assistance to people and civilians affected by the conflict and opened the Pesh Khabur border crossing with Rojava to facilitate the shipment of aid.

On Jan. 20, Turkey began an air and ground offensive in Rojava, targeting the US-backed Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and their all-female brigade, the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), in the Afrin region.

Turkey brands the YPG/YPJ and ruling PYD as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU, and the US.

Editing by Nadia Riva