Syrian Kurds ask international community to stop Turkish cross-border attacks on World Kobani Day

"The international silence reminds of us what happened in Afrin."

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Syrian Kurds called on the international community to stop Turkish attacks on the border, during the fourth anniversary of World Kobani Day on Nov. 1, a day of solidarity with the struggle of the Kurds who defeated the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Kobani.

“On Nov. 1, 2014, Kobani fought on behalf of the world. On this day, the world supported Kobani’s resistance against IS terrorists,” Kurdish military leader Polat Can said in a public statement on Thursday.

“Today, Kobani, is again under another terrorist attack from the Turkish state, to revenge for [the liberation of] Kobani,” he added. “The world owes Kobani for eliminating IS.”

Reportedly, one 10-year-old child, Sara Rif’at Mostafa, was heavily injured in Turkish cross-border shelling in the village of Tal Finder, seven kilometers from the town of Tal Abyad, and is in critical condition at a hospital, the local Hawar News Agency reported.

According to local media reports, one 10-year old child was heavily injured in cross-border shelling in a village near Tal Abyad. (Photo: Hawar News Agency)
According to local media reports, one 10-year old child was heavily injured in cross-border shelling in a village near Tal Abyad. (Photo: Hawar News Agency)

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), meanwhile, said the Turkish army continued its “hostile and reprehensible behavior” against the Kurdish forces on the fourth anniversary of World Kobani Day.

The SDC said the Turkish army’s cross-border attacks “serve terrorism and threatens Syria’s independence and territorial integrity.”

“The international silence reminds of us what happened in Afrin and those jihadi groups who occupied it [Afrin], and who want to unite these areas under the influence of the Turkish state,” the SDC added.

The Kurdish-led council called on “all free people around the world to show solidarity with our cause and our resistance.”

“We call upon the international community to take the necessary attitudes and clear measures against Turkish threats to the North and East of Syria and work for a political solution based on Security Council resolution 2254 and forming committees to rewrite the Constitution without excluding any party.”

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Wednesday decided to halt its campaign against IS temporarily until Turkey ends its attack on Syria’s northeast.

The US-led coalition said they would try to de-escalate the tensions between Turkey and the SDF forces, the coalition’s main partner against IS.

“The SDF temporarily suspended offensive actions against [IS] in response to cross-border attacks by Turkey,” Army Colonel Sean Ryan, Spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), said in a public statement.

“We have been in communication with both Turkey and the SDF to de-escalate the situation. Unity of focus on the defeat of [IS] is the Goal!”

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany