MÊRDÎN - "Turkey must get rid of the Kurdish phobia. Imagining the 21st century on fear will not be realistic," says IHD lawyer Ahmet Arıkan, who participated in the vigil on the Nisêbîn-Qamishlo border.

 

Turkey and the Syrian National Army (SNA) continue their attacks and threats against North and East Syria. Against this situation, a vigil was started on 13 December at the Qamishlo border in Nisêbîn (Nusaybin) district of Mêrdîn (Mardin). The protest continues on its 16th day. Politicians, women, youth, civil society organisations and human rights defenders from many cities are supporting the protest. Lawyer Ahmet Arıkan, one of the executives of the Human Rights Association (IHD) Mêrdîn Branch, is one of the people participating in the resistance at the border.

 

CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

 

Pointing out that a new situation has emerged in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime, lawyer Arıkan said that human rights organizations have great duties against human rights violations in the new transition process. Arıkan said: "We are here to prevent human rights violations with the newly established organisations after the collapse of the system. Our call to international organizations, parties to international conventions and institutions defending humanitarian law; they should prevent human rights violations after such turmoil. Protecting the religions, languages and cultures of people living in countries where there is war is not only the duty of the people there or of a single country. It is also the obligation of states that believe in law. We demand a transition process in accordance with humanitarian law."

 

'THE SYSTEM IN NORTH AND EAST SYRIA IS IMPORTANT'

 

Pointing to the situation in North and East Syria, Arıkan said: "After the collapse of the Baath regime, it was inevitable that a new model would emerge. We are talking about a 12-year experience in North and East Syria. They have an established cultural, political and social order. The continuation of this process is very important in terms of the right of peoples to self-determination and is something that international law obliges."

 

Emphasising that the system in North and East Syria must be protected, Arıkan said: "If Turkey sees the Kurds living here as citizens, it should also look at the Kurds in Rojava on the basis of citizenship. I think Turkey should get rid of the Kurdish phobia that has been going on for the last hundred years. Imagining the 21st century on fear will not be very realistic."