158 Syrian Organizations Condemn the Turkish Targeting of Civilian Infrastructure in North and East Syria

158 Syrian Organizations Condemn the Turkish Targeting of Civilian Infrastructure in North and East Syria
The signatories of this statement call on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to protect civilians and their livelihoods, as well as to cease the targeting of vital infrastructure necessary for the survival of the population
Coinciding with Christmas and New Year celebrations, as well as the war in Gaza, the areas of north and east Syria, inhabited by diverse ethnic and religious groups, are witnessing destructive Turkish military escalation. This escalation includes targeting vital infrastructure, oil and energy sources, and essential facilities necessary for the survival of the civilian population, including Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, and hundreds of thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDPs), mostly women and children, who have come from various Syrian regions.
The Turkish airstrikes began on December 24th, 2023, targeting several oil and energy facilities, including an oil station near Al-Kahef (Bana Shikfatiyah) Village Derik (Al-Malikiyah) and the Awda and Al-Saeeda oil fields in the countryside of Qamishli. The bombardment led to the shutdown of the aforementioned stations, depriving the residents of the region of electricity due to the interruption of gas supplies provided by these stations.
On December 25th, 2023, the Turkish army continued its attacks. Drones returned to bomb factories, service facilities, and civilian properties in Kobani (Ain al-Arab), Amuda, Qamishli, and Derik. Among the targeted sites were a medical facility, an olive oil factory, a sewing workshop, livestock feed facilities, a cement plant, a wedding hall, and the only oxygen cylinder manufacturing laboratory in the region. The most brutal attack was carried out against the workers of a printing press, resulting in the death of four employees, including a young woman.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense, in a statement, officially acknowledged responsibility for these strikes, confirming the deliberate intent behind these targeted attacks. The attacks resulted in the killing of eight people, including two young women, and injured over 14 others, as a preliminary toll, spreading panic among the local population.
The repeated Turkish attacks on infrastructure and energy sources destabilize the already fragile stability in the regions of north and east Syria, which has become a haven for hundreds of thousands of IDPs from across the country. This is not the first time that the infrastructure in the region has been destroyed, all in plain sight and view of the international community. The organizations undersigned in this statement demand the cessation of targeting infrastructure, civilian populations, and civilian properties in north and east Syria, where the residents continue to suffer from the ongoing repercussions of the bloody conflict since 2011. These organizations also remind the Turkish government that the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) imposes a strict and continuous obligation to distinguish between civilian properties and military targets. Infrastructure that provides essential services to civilian populations or which is indispensable for their survival enjoys additional protection under IHL, which explicitly prohibits “attacking objects and materials indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, or their destruction, removal, or impairment.”
The signatories strongly condemn the Turkish military escalation in north and east Syria, demanding an immediate cessation of attacks on civilians, infrastructure, vital facilities, and the respect of IHL. They also affirm that the deliberate targeting carried out by the Turkish government amounts to war crimes under the provisions of International Criminal Law (ICL). They request the following:

UNSC/UN/EU: Take immediate measures to protect civilians and their fundamental rights in north and east Syria and exert pressure on the Turkish government to abide by IHL and cease exporting its internal issues to Syrian territories.
International Coalition/USA: Immediately intervene to halt the Turkish attacks on north and east Syria, close the airspace to drones and warplanes targeting infrastructure, civilian properties, and populated areas, and reject the destabilization and undermining of efforts to combat ISIS.
The International, Impartial, Independent Mechanism (IIIM): Intensify the collection of evidence regarding grave human rights violations committed by all parties to the conflict against civilians and civilian properties throughout Syria, including the repeated Turkish violations in north and east Syria. As well as issue a special report on the targeting of infrastructure in 2023 and its impact on civilian populations.
War Crimes Units in countries whose laws allow for trials based on the principle of universal jurisdiction: Expand structural investigations into international crimes in Syria to include those occurring in the northern Syrian regions by all parties to the conflict.
The Signatory Organizations: