In the past few days, Turkish air strikes have been launched against Afrin, a Kurdish region in Northern Syria, killing and wounding several civilians. This Turkish military operation is taking place without any provocation or attack by either Kurds in this region, or by Syria.
The European signatories of this declaration urge the European Commission and the Member States to redouble their political efforts to demand that Turkey immediately stops its military offensive. We also request the urgent reactivation of the dialogue in the framework of the Geneva talks on Syria, involving all parties, including the Kurds.
We further recognise that the fight of the Kurds in the front line against Daesh also contributes to European security. The destabilisation that Turkey’s attack will cause in this area seriously threatens the security of the entire region. The silence or equidistance of the European Union and the international community is not an option.
We, the undersigned MEPs, call on the EU and the UN to take action in order for these attacks to stop immediately.
Ana Gomes (Portugal, S&D)
Bodil Valero (Sweden, Greens/EFA)
Josef Weidenholzer (Austria, S&D)
Marie-Christine Vergiat (France, GUE/NGL)
Mark Demesmaeker (Flanders, ECR)
Martina Michels (Germany, GUE/NGL)
Josu Juaristi Abaunz (Basque Country, GUE/NGL)
Luke Ming Flanagan (Ireland, GUE/NGL)
Miguel Urban Crespo (Spain, GUE/NGL)
Patrick Le Hyaric (France, GUE/NGL)
Kateřina Konečná (Czech Republic, GUE/NGL)
Costas Mavrides (Cyprus, S&D)
Eva Joly (France, Greens/EFA)
Bart Staes (Belgium, Greens/EFA) 2
Marie-Pierre Vieu (France, GUE/NGL)
Gabi Zimmer (Germany, GUE/NGL)
Sabine Lösing (Germany, GUE/NGL)
Maria Arena (Belgium, S&D)
Javier Couso Permuy (Spain, GUE/NGL)
Takis Hadjigeorgiou (Cyprus, GUE/NGL)
Eva Kaili (Greece, S&D)
Barbara Lochbihler (Germany, Greens/EFA)
Bernd Lucke (Germany, ECR)
Julie Ward (United Kingdom, S&D)
Tania González Peñas (Spain, GUE/NGL)
José Bové (France, Greens/EFA)
Patricia Lalonde (France, ALDE)
Eugen Freund (Austria, S&D)
Martina Anderson (Ireland, GUE/NGL)
Matt Carthy (Ireland, GUE/NGL)
Lynn Boylan (Ireland, GUE/NGL)
Liadh Ní Riada (Ireland, GUE/NGL)
Demetris Papadakis (Cyprus, S&D)
Jude Kirton-Darling (United Kingdom, S&D)
Keith Taylor (United Kingdom, Greens/EFA)
Dimitrios Papadimoulis (Greece, GUE/NGL)
Max Andersson (Sweden, Greens/EFA)
Merja Kyllönen (Finland, GUE/NGL)
Soraya Post (Sweden, S&D)
Petras Auštrevičius (Lithuania, ALDE)
Lidia Senra Rodríguez (Galicia, GUE/NGL)
Estefanía Torres Martínez (Spain, GUE/NGL)
Karoline Graswander-Hainz (Austria, S&D)
Eleonora Forenza (Italy, GUE/NGL)
Jill Evans (Wales, Greens/EFA) 3
Nikolaos Chountis (Greece, GUE/NGL)
Barbara Spinelli (Italy, GUE/NGL)
Malin Björk (Sweden, GUE/NGL)
Dennis De Jong (Netherlands, GUE/NGL)
Anne-Marie Mineur (Netherlands, GUE/NGL)
Stelios Kouloglou (Greece, GUE/NGL)
Sofia Sakorafa (Greece, GUE/NGL)
Branislav Škripek (Slovakia, ECR)
Jordi Solé (Catalonia, Greens/EFA)
Hilde Vautmans (Belgium, ALDE)
Charles Tannock (United Kingdom, ECR)
Tanja Fajon (Slovenia, S&D)
Brando Benifei (Italy, S&D)
Marita Ulvskog (Sweden, S&D)
Olle Ludvigsson (Sweden, S&D)
Jytte Guteland (Sweden, S&D)
Jens Nilsson (Sweden, S&D)
Anna Hedh (Sweden, S&D)
Martin Schirdewan (Germany, GUE/NGL)
Michèle Rivasi (France, Greens/EFA)
Margrete Auken (Denmark, Greens/EFA)
Josep-Maria Terricabras (Catalonia, Greens/EFA)