Attacks by Türkiye on the Syrian Kurds

Question for written answer E-003087/2024
to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Rule 144
Yannis Maniatis (S&D), Nikos Papandreou (S&D), Sakis Arnaoutoglou (S&D)

On Christmas Day, Turkish President Erdogan declared that 'Kurdish fighters will either lay down their weapons or be buried in Syria with them'. These threatening statements come in the wake of statements that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) cannot have a place in the discussions on the future of Syria, attacks against the Syrian Kurds by the so-called 'Syrian National Army' with Turkish air cover and military assistance, and concerns about clearance operations by the Turkish army inside Syria.

In view of the above and the fact that the SDF were the main strike force against the Islamic State:

• 1.How will the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy guarantee the protection of Syrian Kurds from Turkish aggression?
• 2.What will she do to ensure that the new Syrian regime is inclusive and protects the rights of all ethnic and religious minorities, such as Syrian Kurds and Christians?
• 3.In the event of a Turkish invasion or operations in Northern Syria, will she undertake to pursue the adoption of a proposal for an arms embargo on Türkiye in the framework of the strict implementation of criterion four on regional stability of Common Position 2008/944/CFSP on arms export controls, as decided in a similar case by the Foreign Affairs Council of 14 October 2019?

Submitted: 28.12.2024