North and East Syria parties call for protection of peoples’ rights on 100th anniversary of Lausanne Treaty

NORTH AND EAST SYRIA — On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, parties in Nort and East Syria gathered for a public statement in front of the United Nations building in Zalin (Qamishli) on Monday. They vehemently condemned the treaty and urged the international community to take a stand in safeguarding the legitimate rights of the region’s peoples.

The Treaty of Lausanne, signed on 24 July 1923, was a significant international agreement that formally concluded the hostilities between the Allies and Turkey, marking the end of World War I in the region and drawing Turkey’s current borders. The treaty replaced the previous Treaty of Sèvres, which had been rejected by the Turkish National Movement.

In a public statement, the parties denounced the Treaty of Lausanne as one that emerged from the ruins of the Treaty of Sèvres and prevented various peoples, including the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people, from ensuring the continuity of their own cultures and identities within Turkish territory. They emphasized that this treaty had severe consequences for all minorities, subjecting them to genocidal campaigns and demographic changes in their ancestral homelands.

Expressing concern about Turkey’s current actions, the parties highlighted how, a century later, Turkey seeks to maintain the treaty while making concessions to Western nations. Turkey aims to normalize relations with the Syrian regime and expand the influence of Lausanne through the occupation of large areas of Syria, including Cafrin (Afrin), Tel Abyad, and Rish Ayno (Ras al-Ayn).

Despite these challenges, the parties asserted that the peoples of North and East Syria, along with their political organizations, are united in their efforts to thwart these plans and safeguard the hard-won gains achieved through the sacrifices of countless martyrs.

Concluding their statement, the parties appealed to the signatories of the Treaty of Lausanne, as well as the entire international community and the United Nations, to fulfill their responsibilities in upholding the rights of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean), Kurdish, and other peoples. They called for the principles of freedom, justice, and equality to be upheld and respected for the well-being and prosperity of all.