Turkey intensifies attacks on Syria

In the month of August, the Turkish army once again stepped up its attacks against ethnic and religious minorities in Syria – apparently resulting in a total number of 1.917 artillery and rocket attacks on various regions in the north and north-east of Syria. The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) thus demanded German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to condemn the NATO-state’s internationally wrongful aggression and to demand an end to the attacks: “Baerbock, a member of the Green Party, seems to see Turkey’s attacks against Kurdish people and members of other minority groups in a neighboring country as ‘self defense’, thus signaling understanding. Actually, however, the attacks are to be seen as war crimes – and the Foreign Minister is partly responsible, as she decided to remain silent,” emphasized Dr. Kamal Sido, the STP’s Middle East Consultant.

Following Baerbock’s visit at the beginning of August, Turkey had started more attacks, especially against the “Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF), which are fighting against the so-called “Islamic State”. Fifteen drone attacks were reported. Turkey is responsible for more than 24 attacks on the south of Afrin – with heavy artillery, tanks, rockets, and mortars. The region is a home to many Kurdish, Yazidi, Alevi, and Christian refugees. The Kurdish villages Bênê, Aqîbê, Zaretê, and Meyasê counted approximately 766 hits with artillery, tanks, and mortars. Six people were killed, including one woman and a young girl. A total number of 16 people, including six women, were injured.

In the north-east of Syria, Tel Tamr and its surroundings were attacked at least 25 times, three times with drones. Six people were killed in these attacks on a region that was primarily inhabited by Assyrian Christians: four schoolgirls and two SDF-fighters. Five more people were injured. Also, Turkey repeatedly attacked the multi-ethnic and multi-religious region around Qamishli. Fourteen people were killed, including two children. Nineteen people were injured, including a young girl and two women. The Kurdish city of Kobane was attacked four times. Here, the Turkish army killed six people, including two children. Five people, including one child, were injured.