Kurdish MPs from Turkey in Hunger Strike at UN for Kobane
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Three Kurdish MPs from the Turkish parliament have started a hunger strike before the UN building in Geneva, calling for international help against Islamic State (IS) attacks on fellow Kurds in the city of Kobane in Syria.
"The terrorist organization, IS, is trying to scare the Kurds away from their areas so they can take over these areas,” said Selma Irmak, an MP from the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) who is among the strikers.
“They did so in Shingal (in northern Iraq) and now they try to do the same in Kobane,” she told Rudaw. “The world must break its silence."
IS forces launched renewed attacks a week ago against Kobane, one of three “cantons” in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) controlled by the Democratic Union Party (PYD).
Turkey has said 130,000 refugees from Kobane, mostly Kurds, have washed across the border since Friday, amid warnings of a humanitarian disaster in the making.
Sebahat Tuncel, another MP from the pro-Kurdish HDP, accused the international community of complicity in the IS attacks.
“It is not only IS which is responsible for a potential massacre in Kobane. The international community, which is silent, will also be responsible," Tuncel told Sterk TV.
Kemal Aktas from the HDP and former European Parliament MP Feleknas Uca are also among the hunger strikers, who said they will continue their fast until they see some results.
Irmak urged the international community to arm the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PYD which for the past three years has been a bulwark against IS forces moving into Rojava.
"IS is waging war with tanks and effective weapons. YPG is fighting with the weapons they have. The states that are fighting the IS should also support YPG with logistics,” Irmak said.
PYD leader Salih Muslim warned Friday of a humanitarian crisis in Kobane.
He likened the situation to Shingal, the Yezidi town in northern Iraq that was captured by IS last month. Hundreds of Yezidis were reported killed, women were seized as war booty and huge numbers were evicted or forced to flee.
“We still have an opportunity to prevent a repetition in Kobane,” Muslim said, calling on the world to help arm the YPG.
The United States has been involved in airstrikes against IS in Iraq since last month. President Barack Obama has said the US would not hesitate to strike the radical group in Syria, but attacks there have yet to commence.
The new IS attacks on Kobane follow a siege that left the city without water or electricity and a virtual blockade.
The YPG remains isolated because of its links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is labeled as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States, and is vehemently opposed by Turkey.
Irmak said that, while the West stood behind the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq, the YPG was left alone to face the Islamic radicals.
“The support they (the West) is giving to the Peshmerga against IS, they should also give to YPG," said Irmak, who is sharing a tent with her fellow strikers before the UN building in Geneva.
"The terrorist organization, IS, is trying to scare the Kurds away from their areas so they can take over these areas,” said Selma Irmak, an MP from the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) who is among the strikers.
“They did so in Shingal (in northern Iraq) and now they try to do the same in Kobane,” she told Rudaw. “The world must break its silence."
IS forces launched renewed attacks a week ago against Kobane, one of three “cantons” in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) controlled by the Democratic Union Party (PYD).
Turkey has said 130,000 refugees from Kobane, mostly Kurds, have washed across the border since Friday, amid warnings of a humanitarian disaster in the making.
Sebahat Tuncel, another MP from the pro-Kurdish HDP, accused the international community of complicity in the IS attacks.
“It is not only IS which is responsible for a potential massacre in Kobane. The international community, which is silent, will also be responsible," Tuncel told Sterk TV.
Kemal Aktas from the HDP and former European Parliament MP Feleknas Uca are also among the hunger strikers, who said they will continue their fast until they see some results.
Irmak urged the international community to arm the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PYD which for the past three years has been a bulwark against IS forces moving into Rojava.
"IS is waging war with tanks and effective weapons. YPG is fighting with the weapons they have. The states that are fighting the IS should also support YPG with logistics,” Irmak said.
PYD leader Salih Muslim warned Friday of a humanitarian crisis in Kobane.
He likened the situation to Shingal, the Yezidi town in northern Iraq that was captured by IS last month. Hundreds of Yezidis were reported killed, women were seized as war booty and huge numbers were evicted or forced to flee.
“We still have an opportunity to prevent a repetition in Kobane,” Muslim said, calling on the world to help arm the YPG.
The United States has been involved in airstrikes against IS in Iraq since last month. President Barack Obama has said the US would not hesitate to strike the radical group in Syria, but attacks there have yet to commence.
The new IS attacks on Kobane follow a siege that left the city without water or electricity and a virtual blockade.
The YPG remains isolated because of its links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is labeled as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States, and is vehemently opposed by Turkey.
Irmak said that, while the West stood behind the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq, the YPG was left alone to face the Islamic radicals.
“The support they (the West) is giving to the Peshmerga against IS, they should also give to YPG," said Irmak, who is sharing a tent with her fellow strikers before the UN building in Geneva.