Syriac Union Party Co-Chair Barsoum: Turkey is engaging in collective punishment of the peoples of North and East Syria

ZALIN (QAMISHLI), Syria – In a statement to SuroyoTV, Co-Chair of the Syriac Union Party (SUP) in Syria Sanharib Barsoum stressed that the drying of the Euphrates River threatens a humanitarian disasters and that Turkey is engaging in collective punishment against the people of North and East Syria.

Barsoum stated that Turkey has conducted its war against the people of North and East Syria beyond military actions. Not only has Turkey orchestrated an invasion of the region and supported extremist groups, says Barsoum, it has used water as a weapon.

Turkey has routinely cut of or diminished the flow of potable water from the Alouk pumping station it captured in October 2019. More recently, it has reduced the flow of water of the Euphrates River. According to Barsoum, Turkey is engaging in acts of collective punishment, a crime under the Geneva Conventions.

Barsoum also warned that Turkey’s restriction of the water resources of the Euphrates River, a vital source of drinking water, electricity, and irrigation for crops, will exacerbate the humanitarian and economic disaster already affecting the peoples of the region.

Turkey sees itself above International laws, continued Barsoum, but should be held accountable by the United Nations and the Security Council who should intervene to stop its repeated violations against the peoples of North and East Syria.

“We, as the Syriac Union Party in Syria, affirm our position on the direction of great powers that have influence in Syria to stop Turkish practices, particularly on the issue of water, to the detriment of civilians in the region,” he concluded.

تركيا دولة خارجة عن القوانين الدولية وتجفيف نهر الفرات هي تعتبر جريمة جماعية ضد الملايين من الشعب السوري والاسوأ من ذلك هو السكوت المجتمع الدولي عن جرائمها pic.twitter.com/YPTeQeayZT

— sanharib barsom (@SanharibB) July 8, 2020