The shocking bombing of the Mexmûr refugee camp by Turkish fighter jets has drawn condemnation by protesters across the world. Protests have targeted both the Turkish government and the international community for its failure to condemn the violence.
France:
In France, activists from the Kurdish Revolutionary Youth Movement (TCŞ) staged a protest against the deadly Turkish air raid that killed three women in Mexmûr refugee camp under UN protection on Wednesday.
YJŞ activists hung a banner reading “Murderer Turkey, out of Kurdistan” outside the Turkish Consulate in the French city of Marseilles.
Germany:
Similarly, in Berlin activists from the Kurdish Youth Movement and German internationalists staged protests against the air strike.
The German state too has come under fire for its failure to condemn the attacks, and has even been accused of helping Turkey to justify the bombings.
German Left Party (DIE LINKE) MEP Özlem Alev Demirel called on NATO to act against its member state Turkey stating that the air raids:
“Constitute an attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq in violation of international law. Obviously neither international law nor reason play a role for the Erdoğan’s government.”
Denmark:
In Denmark, two parties released separate written statements condemning the attacks. The Green Red Union and the Socialist People’s Party’s statements protested the Turkish state bombing of the refugee camp.
The statement signed by the Foreign Affairs spokesperson of the Green Red Union, Eva Flyveholm, reminded the Danish government that three civilians died as a result of the attack which – said the statement – was carried out at a time when the whole world is trying to counter the coronavirus outbreak.
The statement also requested that the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs investigate the attack, as such an attack is a serious breach of international legal protections on refugees.
The Iraqi military and opposition parties too have joined calls for the regime in Ankara to face international scrutiny for the air strikes which occurred on Iraqi territory.
Criticism of the UN:
Despite these clear and grevious infringements of international law and human rights treaties the UN has largely remained silent on the issue.
In response the Kurdish Free Women’s Movement (TJA) called on the United Nations to comply with its own agreement and take action against the embargo and attacks on the refugee camp.
In a written statement published on Tuesday, TJA recalled that the Mexmûr refugee camp in southern Kurdistan, northern Iraq was built by the United Nations (UN) in 1998 and criticized the UN’s silence on the embargo and attacks against the camp.
The statement also argued that the attacks on the camp should be considered within the scope of de-Kurdification policy of the Turkish state, calling on the UN to not be a party to this genocidal campaign and to comply with its own agreement for the protection of the camp.
Meanwhile, in Geneva members of the Europe-wide Kurdish youth movements Tevgera Ciwanên Şoreşger (TCŞ) and Jinên Ciwanên Azad (JCA) protested against the silence of the United Nations.
The activists gathered outside the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) office in Geneva and hung a banner which read “Turkey bombs refugee camps, United Nations does nothing”. Activists also took part in similar demonstrations outside of the UNHCR offices in Bern.