ISTANBUL - Stating that targeting civilians and living spaces in attacks against Northern and Eastern Syria is a "war crime", legal organizations called on Turkey to "comply with international conventions and end the attacks".

 

Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) Istanbul Branch, Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD) Istanbul Branch, Lawyers Solidarity, Lawyers for Democracy, Society and Legal Research Foundation (TOHAV) and Libertarian Democrat Lawyers, Turkey's Northern and Eastern Syria on October 4 published a written statement regarding the attacks it initiated against.

 

In the statement, it was drawn attention that civilian living spaces, wheat warehouses, hospitals and power plants were targeted in the attack, and it was reminded that targeting non-combatant people and civilian places during conflicts is prohibited in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. In the statement, it was emphasized that attacking civilians, buildings and property was a "war crime".

 

CALL TO 'STOP THE ATTACKS'

 

The statement stated that attacks on civilian areas are worrying and underlined that the violation of the fundamental rights of the civilian population, especially women and children, is unacceptable. The statement continued: "As legal institutions, we invite Turkey to comply with the international agreements to which it is a party, to end the attacks, and in a peaceful framework with the interlocutors of the Kurdish question, which has now become an international problem."