ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - President Masoud Barzani warned on Wednesday that there is a "serious threat" to civilian lives in Aleppo, further cautioning that there is also "the danger of ethnic cleansing against Kurds in that area." The warning comes amid ongoing attacks by Syrian state forces on Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Aleppo.
“The dangerous situation and the fighting and violence currently taking place in the city of Aleppo are deeply concerning and pose a serious threat to the lives of civilians and innocent citizens. There is also the danger of ethnic cleansing against Kurds in that area,” said President Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said in a statement.
He also called on the Syrian government “not to turn political disagreements into ethnic conflict, and not to allow the issues and problems in the Aleppo area to result in pressure, oppression, displacement from ancestral lands, or ethnic cleansing against Kurdish citizens.”
President Barzani's statement followed calls from Kurdish officials in the quarters for help as the state forces have intensified attacks on the area.
Hevin Sulaiman, co-chair of the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods’ council, on Wednesday described the situation in the two areas as “a humanitarian catastrophe,” calling for “urgent intervention” from “the international community and the Global Coalition forces to support the civilian population” and pressure Damascus to “stop the war.”
She further appealed to President Barzani and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani to “intervene in their own capacity, as this massacre is being carried out against the Kurdish people,” adding that “this conflict can be resolved through dialogue, and war serves no party’s interest.”
The Kurdish internal security forces (Asayish), who control both quarters, and the Syrian army have traded blame for the deadly clashes which erupted on Tuesday. Footage shared by pro-government media showed the Syrian army entering the neighborhoods late Wednesday afternoon.
The KDP leader also called on the Kurdish forces to "do everything within their power to stop the fighting and clashes, prevent further bloodshed, and for all sides to work toward adopting the path of dialogue and negotiation to resolve the problems."
"Political disagreements must not become a reason to endanger the lives of civilians or allow ethnic cleansing against the Kurdish people to occur. Such acts constitute crimes against humanity and will lead to dangerous consequences," he noted.
The Syrian army have declared the two neighborhoods as military war zones, considering all positions of Kurdish forces as their "legitimate" targets.
Foza Alyusuf, a senior Kurdish politician and the co-chair of the committee negotiating integration talks with Damascus, said the declaration move is "a strategic mistake and will have unavoidable consequences."
"This war has been imposed by external forces, and unfortunately there has been submission to it. We support dialogue and a peaceful solution, but at the same time we will defend ourselves against any attack," she said.
Other Kurdish officials have also said they seek a peaceful solution to the issue and called on people to remain in place.
Asayish said late Wednesday that at least seven civilians have been killed and 54 others injured as a result of attacks by Damascus forces.
Updated at 7:19 pm
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