The crimes of the Turkish government in areas under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces continue. On Friday, June 7, 2024, local authorities in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) announced that the Turkish Air Force once again attacked northern and eastern Syria with drones and artillery. Since October 2023, the Turkish military has been regularly bombing areas under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), taking advantage of the global media’s focus on Israel’s brutal attacks on Gaza. These savage attacks have destroyed power plants, energy transmission stations, and oil refineries. Hospitals, bakeries, and water supply facilities have been repeatedly targeted by aerial and artillery attacks.
The primary goal of these attacks is to dismantle the self-management system of Rojava and the “Syrian Democratic Forces,” where entities such as the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) play prominent roles. In addition to aerial assaults, the Turkish military has employed mercenaries for ground attacks, which have been bravely repelled by the armed men and women of the region. Despite the criminal assaults by the Turkish military, the democratic and public institutions of Rojava have not ceased providing public services. A widespread solidarity effort has been established to rebuild the destruction caused by the Turkish military and its proxies.
Under such circumstances, the graduation ceremony for 250 students from Kobani University was held at the city stadium, attended by thousands of local residents. The municipal elections, scheduled for the coming days, have been postponed to ensure voter safety amid Turkish threats.
While the people of Rojava strive to improve living conditions, international efforts are also underway to assist them. Recently, an international campaign to install solar panels for public facilities, hospitals, and schools was launched in Berlin. Dr. Sherwan Berri, a physician and founding member of the Kurdish Red Crescent, who managed it until 2021, stated at the campaign launch: “In the shadow of the war in Gaza, Turkey has been committing war crimes for months without Western intervention.” Berri reported that the attacks have severely disrupted daily life in northern and eastern Syria. Hundreds of villages and communities have been cut off from the outside world, forcing residents to live without electricity in darkness.
Medico International, a humanitarian organization based in Germany, supports the “Solar Solidarity” campaign. Ibo Mohammad from the German branch of “Fridays for Future” also expressed support, stating: “We owe it to the people in northern and eastern Syria to help them.”
Moreover, prominent global thinkers such as Noam Chomsky, David Harvey from the USA, Aida Shibli from Palestine, and Rajendra Singh from India, along with dozens of other renowned intellectuals, have supported Rojava’s management system and communal regime. The Turkish government, which cannot tolerate any degree of democracy and freedom of choice in this region, is determined to destroy it. However, the resistance of the citizens of northern and eastern Syria, combined with the support from humanitarians, socialists, and all free thinkers, has led the “Syrian Democratic Forces” to confront Erdoğan and his military and proxy forces with failure and defeat.
