Partiya Yekîtiya Demokrat - PYD

Democratic Union Party - PYD

حزب الاتحاد الديمقراطي
18/11/2016

His Excellency Mr Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations

Dear Mr Thomson,

We, the undersigned, representatives of political parties, civil society and women's organisations, human rights activists and academics from Syria, the Middle East and the world, would like to ask you to convene an extraordinary session of the UN General Assembly regarding the recent Turkish government practices that threaten the security and stability in Syria and the entire Middle East.

The Turkish government occupied the Syrian city of Jarablus and the surrounding areas. It constantly attack our cities, such as Efrin, Kobani and Al Jazira, in addition to its continued support for terrorists organisations such as Daesh and Al Nusra Front (Fateh Al Sham); both are designated terrorist organisations by the UN Security Council. Turkey has also been violating international law by harming and killing innocent Syrian citizens and infringing on their properties, according to the supporting documents which confirm these practices in northern Syria.

The Turkish government's escalating violence, especially the destruction of towns and cities such as Şırnak, Cizre, Nusaybin, and the district of Sur in Diyarbakir in south-east Turkey, threaten regional peace and security. Furthermore, the recent arrest of deputies and the co-chairs of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) means the collapse of political life and delivers a mortal blow to democracy and democratic institutions in Turkey. These attacks in turn undermine the efforts to find a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey, as well as efforts to ensure the rights of other peoples, such as the Syriacs, Armenians and Arabs. In addition, the Turkish government's actions obstruct the international coalition's efforts to fight terrorism.

Once again, we call upon the international community, through the UN General Assembly, to launch an urgent investigation into Turkey's dangerous policies and malpractices. Our letter is a serious attempt to serve the higher interest of humanity and the UN laws and conventions, which emphasise the security and stability of the Middle East and thus the world.