The Kurdish community in Cyprus held another protest in Limassol over what they describe as attacks and massacres against the people of Rojava in Syria, calling on the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union to take initiatives to bring an end to the hostilities.
Members of the Kurdish community in Cyprus gathered on Tuesday afternoon outside the Limassol District Administration building, where a statement was read saying that “what is happening in northern and eastern Syria is not only an attack on a people, but also an attack on freedom, women’s achievements and the will to build a democratic way of life”.
Defending freedom and democracy
The statement said the democratic system that has been built in Rojava over recent years is now being targeted for destruction by jihadist groups supported by Turkey. It added that “attacks on civilians, forced displacement, executions and the bombing of residential areas constitute clear war crimes”.
“These attacks also represent an attempt to erase the historic achievements of the resistance carried out in the name of humanity against ISIS,” the statement said. Protesters stressed that the Kurdish people would not surrender and would continue to defend freedom and democracy, not only for Rojava but for the future of all peoples.
At the same time, the demonstrators, acting as representatives of the PYD party in Cyprus, appealed to the President of the Republic, who currently holds the EU Council Presidency, to “assume political responsibility to stop the massacres and attacks in Rojava, mobilise international public opinion and recognise the legitimate resistance of the Kurdish people”.
Demanding release
They also called on “democratic forces, institutions and people of conscience to stand in solidarity with Rojava and raise their voices against these attacks”.
Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Cultural Centre “Theofilos” said in a statement on Tuesday that two female fighters from the Women’s Defence Units (YPJ) were abducted and taken captive in the Deir ez-Zor area by armed groups linked to Syria’s transitional government.
According to the statement, social activists, columnists and women’s rights organisations condemned the capture of the two fighters and demanded their immediate release and the prosecution of those responsible.