BERÇEM CÛDÎ

Kobanî- The UAVs belong to the Turkish Armed Forces attacked Shengal on 16-17 August. The attacks killed and wounded many civilians. Turkey also attacked Til Temir, Zirgana, Kobanî and Qamishlo. The Geneva Conventions, a series of international treaties concluded in Geneva between 1864 and 1949 for the purpose of ameliorating the effects of war on soldiers and civilians, legally defined new war crimes that states could exercise universal jurisdiction over war criminals in 1949. Torture or inhumane treatment, intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war; torture, the taking of hostages, and the unnecessary destruction of civilian property; deception by perfidy, rape, pillaging are some of the war crimes defined by the convention. In 2002, the International Criminal Court came into being for the prosecution of war crimes committed on or after that date. Sara Qewas, the co-chair of the Human Rights Association in the Euphrates Region, spoke to our news agency about Turkish attacks on NE Syria.

“We have been going through a difficult period”

Stating that the duty of their association is to defend and monitor human rights, Sara Qewas said, “We have been going through a difficult period in which violence, oppression, murder, and torture are at their highest level. As a human rights association, we monitor rights violations against people. We want to intervene in these rights violations but as an association, we don’t have such rights. We just monitor and document these rights violations. Then, we share rights violations on our social media accounts.”

“They act for their own interests”

Sara Qewas drew attention to ongoing silence against committed international crimes; “The Turkish state is known for carrying out massacres in history. For this reason, the attacks on Shengal took their place in the massacres committed by the Turkish state against the peoples. The massacres and attacks carried out by the Turkish state in the 21st century are not accepted by human rights associations and organizations in the world. The attacks on Shengal took place in front of the world but no one reacted to these attacks. The silence of the international powers shows us that they act for their own interests.”

“Don’t remain silent”

Sara Qewas called on the International Criminal Court to prosecute Turkey for its war crimes, “Bombing the hospital in Shengal is a war crime. The Turkish state targeted women, children, elders, and health workers. This attack is evidence showing the Turkish state committed a war crime. Our duty is to report and document what is going on here. Turkey will be prosecuted if the documents are accepted.” Addressing international human rights organizations, Sara Qewas demands to not remain silent against war crimes committed by the Turkish state.