As attacks on Rojava by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), ISIS and Turkish-backed groups continue, international reactions are also growing. Mahmoud Patel, who was involved in the struggle against South Africa's apartheid regime, spoke to the Mezopotamya Agency (MA).

 

Patel stated that attacks against Kurds in Syria are not new, and that Turkey has been aiming to Turkify the region for over a decade. He said that crimes against humanity were committed in Aleppo and that the Kurdish identity and culture were being targeted for eradication. Patel added: "What is also important is Turkey wants to also sabotage the peace process that is underway in Turkey itself. And now what we see, Colani regime in Damascus was a green light by Turkey as well as its NATO alliance members. Turkey wouldn't have done this if the U.S. did not give it also its blessings to go ahead via the instrument of Colani.” 

 

'THE FIGHTERS SAVED NOT ONLY SYRIA BUT THE WORLD'

 

Stating that President Erdoğan, senior ministers and generals are responsible for human rights violations, Patel assessed the process with the following words: "We can say it's genocidal. There's a lot of information coming through in the last two, three weeks. If you go through it, the pattern is the same. Removal of the local Kurdish population, targeting them, destroying all the gains that have happened in Rojava over the last decade. Remember, it was the fighters in North and East Syria that fought against DAESH and prevented them succeeding in their aims and objectives. That prevented and saved not only Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, but also the rest of the world.”

 

18 JANUARY ‘AGREEMENT’

 

Stating that the attacks pose a major threat to civilians, Patel said that the 14-point “agreement” presented on 18 January was unilateral. Patel said:

 

 “This agreement gives everything to the regime, while disregarding the ethnic identity and conditions of the Kurdish people. The fundamental aim of the attacks is to render the peace process in Turkey ineffective and to eliminate the system that targets the democracy project, egalitarian society, and women's rights in Syria." Noting that groups operating with Turkey's military and intelligence support violate international law, Patel said, "In March 2025, People's Tribunal gave a judgment where they speak about these human rights violations. But since January 2026, it has escalated again. The designation of neighborhood civilian zones, they demarcate it as a military zone.”

 

‘WHEN THE KURDISH PEOPLE GAIN STRENGTH, THE COALITION WITHDRAWS ITS SUPPORT’

 

Patel said that the current attacks are a continuation of Turkey's historical policy of oppression, adding, "It's the same thing they have done before they are doing it again. The moment the Kurdish people make progress, they're starting to become stronger, then the support falls away from the international coalition as well. They let the groups and what Turkey does to the instrument of the proxies do what it wants. We see these developments reinforced by the regime, breaches of international human rights, humanitarian and criminal law. I would make a call and ask all solidarity friends and all those who believe in human rights and human values to stand up and call the international legal institutions, human rights organizations, and the UN in the region there that say they are based on principles of humanity, equality, and values that are important for democracy to stand up and to bring pressure to stop these violations that are going on in Rojava.”

 

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE UN AND THE EU

 

Stating that the support given by Western countries to the regime in Damascus is unacceptable, Patel said that this is not only the responsibility of the UN, but also of the EU. Drawing attention to France's role in this process, Patel said, "France has always spoken about how valiant the Kurdish fighters have been, what a wonderful project Rojava is. So why can't they now stand firm and support the gains that were there by the revolution in the region? They too have turned their backs again. Once again, you see the Kurdish people again have been let down by those who claim to have supported them the most."

 

Stating that the Kurdish movement needs to review its strategy in the face of the attitude of international powers, Patel emphasised the vital importance of resistance. Expressing that Western diplomacy only protects its own interests, Patel warned, "We can look at it as a betrayal again. But the deep morality, the deep sense of humanity again has been abandoned and all in the name of propping up a new leadership that would be subservient to the regional interests and restoring the balance of forces to the favor of what they seek.”

 

'YOU ARE NOT ALONE, YOU HAVE FRIENDS'

 

Conveying his message to the Kurds, Patel  said, "You are not alone. You have your solidarity partners and friends who stand with you and who will do what is necessary to do on their side. But you are on the ground and you bear the brunt of everything. Always have hope that it will get better. You know, before the light of dawn comes, you got to go through the dark night. And the Kurdish people are a resilient people. For decades and centuries, they've overcome hardships. And definitely this too will be overcome in time as well.”

 

MA / Hîvda Çelebi