16/10/2023

Syrian Democratic Council official Bassam Ishaq urges US action against Turkish attacks on North and East Syria

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bassam Ishaq, Co-Chair of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) Mission to the US in Washington, D.C., called on the United States to condemn Turkey’s attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure in North and East Syria during an interview with Rudaw. Ishaq emphasized that these assaults, aimed at displacing the local population, reveal Turkey’s stark double standards.

Ishaq underscored that the Turkish bombardment not only inflicts immense damage on infrastructure but also disrupts essential services provided by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), compelling many to emigrate from the region. He characterized these actions as an indirect, yet intentional, form of ethnic cleansing and a gross violation of human rights.

Expressing discontent with US President Joe Biden’s approach to addressing the Turkish attacks, Ishaq asserted that it is insufficient for Biden to merely frame these assaults as hindrances to the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS). Instead, he urged Biden to unequivocally denounce them as acts of terrorism, aligning with the condemnation of similar attacks in the Middle East.

Ishaq drew attention to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza as violations of human rights and international law, pointing out Erdogan’s double-standard in criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza, namely the cutting off of water and electricity, and Turkey’s crippling of vital civilian infrastructure, especially power generation and water facilities, in North and East Syria.

Affirming the United States as a crucial military ally, Ishaq anticipated an upcoming statement from the US regarding the Turkish attacks on the region. While the nature of this statement remains unspecified, it may encompass either a condemnation or an immediate call for a cessation of the bombardment.