The Socialist Alliance (Australia) released the following statement in response to Turkey's genocidal attacks on North East Syria and Northern Iraq and Iran's attacks on Kurdish populations inside Iran.
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Since November 20, the Turkish state has been carrying out relentless air attacks on the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) — also known as Rojava — and against Kurdish and Yezidi communities in northern Iraq. More than 100,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as schools, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure has been targeted.
These are war crimes and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said these attacks are in preparation for a land invasion of Rojava.
The Anthony Albanese Labor government of Australia should immediately condemn this brutal aggression with the same force as it condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Australia should also ban all arms trade and military cooperation with Turkey and call upon its allies and other governments to do the same.
Australia should offer immediate emergency humanitarian support to the AANES and offer people fleeing from this war full protection and permanent resettlement.
At the same time that Turkey is attacking Kurds in Syria and Iraq, the Iranian armed forces are using heavy artillery on the Kurdish city of Mahabad as part of its violent suppression of peaceful protests for women's rights following the state murder of Jîna Amini two months ago. More than a hundred civilians have been murdered in this genocidal attack.
The Australian government must condemn this genocidal attack and offer permanent resettlement to the many refugees from Iran that have sought protection in Australia.