Leyla Birlik: Those who kept silent for Şırnak and Cizre become deaf for Afrin 2018-03-26 13:12:08       Duygu Ciniviz   DİYARBAKIR – HDP Şırnak MP Leyla Birlik reacted to the attitude of the UN, European Parliament and Nato for Afrin and she recalled what had happened in self-governance areas. “The silence of Middle East for Afrin shows this war will move to other cities and countries and the war will grow,” said Leyla.   Hundreds of civilians, mostly children, were killed in the attacks of Turkey and its backed groups on Afrin. Avrin Hospital, where wounded civilians were received treatment, was bombed by warplanes. The footage of looting by Turkish soldiers and Free Syrian Army members was watched by whole world. The world becomes deaf for Afrin as they kept silent against the massacres carried out in many cities like Şırnak, Sur, Cizre, Nusaybin.   ‘Laws of war were ignored’   Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Şırnak MP Leyla Birlik is one of the people know this process very closely. She witnessed the demolition and massacres in Şırnak. Stating that the laws of war and human values had been ignored, Leyla said, “Those who attacked in Sur, Cizre and Şırnak do the same thing in Afrin now.” Emphasizing that the government ignores the laws of war, Leyla said the attacks on civilians and hospital were unacceptable.   ‘Yesterday was in halabja, today in Afrin’   Pointing out that civilians were killed in the streets of Afrin on the anniversary of the Halabja Massacre, Leyla said, “On the anniversary of Halabja, after 30 years, the massacres carried out against the civilians in Afrin is a shameful situation both morally and humanly. These footages are painful for the Kurdish people and cause outrage.”   ‘International agreements and responsibilities’   Emphasizing that the war is not the war of just a small city Afrin, Leyla stated that these attacks actually embodies the war inside all the countries of the world, the imperialist powers, and the nation states. Underlining that Afrîn is a city where the democratic nation paradigm enlivens and the people fleeing from the gangs take shelter in, Leyla emphasized that a big war is being carried out against the people wanting to govern themselves, democratic nation, new life and city where a million people take shelter. “The reason for this silence is their relationship based on self-interest. The European Parliament, UN, NATO have various international agreements and responsibilities with Turkey. This silence of Europe shows moral collapse.”   ‘Afrin is the future of humanity’   Expressing that the silence against what had happened in Şırnak and Sur is spreading in Turkey, Leyla said, “The violence took place in Kurdistan first spread to all Turkey and then to Afrin. The developments on these lands concern all the Middle East. The vital point is Afrin. The silence of the Middle East on Afrin shows this war will move to other cities and countries and the war will grow. In this sense, no one should stay silent against the war. All people should stand against this war. Because Afrin is the future of humanity.”