Turkey’s crimes against the peoples of N. E. Syria
The reports included several issues, the most important of which was Turkey’s withholding of the Syrians ’share of the Euphrates water four months ago. On the 27th of last January, the Turkish side tended to reduce Syria’s share of the Euphrates water to significantly lower levels, to less than 200 cubic meters of water per second, which is a violation of the 1987 agreement, which stipulated that the quota be 500 cubic meters per second.
The decline in the level of the Euphrates River negatively and directly affected the region of North and East Syria and its people from several aspects of life and posed threats and dangers to the lives of millions of Syrians due to pollution of the river’s water and damage to water and food security as its flow ceased, in addition to the impact on the agricultural sector, which sparked widespread popular discontent, where they repeatedly appealed to the international community to prevent Turkey from blocking the waters of the Euphrates River, but Turkey took advantage of the prevailing international silence to commit more crimes against the people of the region.
In addition, the Human Rights Organization in the Euphrates region prepared a report on the Turkish crimes and the repercussions of the Euphrates water shortage on the region in many respects. The report included three local reports prepared by the Water Directorate in Kobani canton and the Energy and Dams Administration Authority in the Euphrates Region, supported by photos and videos.
Regarding the report, the co-chair of the Human Rights Organization in the Euphrates region, Ahmed Daoud, says: “Because of the continuous violations of the Turkish occupation against the peoples of the North and East Syria, and its blocking of the Euphrates River, reports were prepared at the level of all regions of north and east Syria, and they were combined in one report, which was sent by the Human Rights Organization in North and East Syria to international forums to stop Turkey’s crimes against the people of the region.
The contents of the report prepared by the Energy Authority in the Euphrates region and attached to it as part of the reports prepared by the organization, showed the extent of the impact of the low water level on the rationing of electricity in the canton, thus negatively affecting the people and the region in general.
As for the report of the Water Directorate in Koban canton, more emphasis has been placed on the pollution of the Euphrates water due to its low level, which threatens a humanitarian and health disaster in the region, in addition to the difficulty of securing water for drinking and the agricultural sector, and the drought of ground wells as a result of the decline.
For its part, the Dams Administration in the Euphrates region warned in its report of a catastrophic situation if Turkey continued to confine the water of the Euphrates River.
All the reports were accompanied by photos and videos that show the extent of the decline in the water level and its effects on the daily life of the people of the region.
Prevailing international silence and demands to hold Turkey accountable
According to the co-chair of the Human Rights Organization in the Euphrates region, Ahmed Daoud: “After collecting the reports from all regions of North and East Syria and including them in one report, which amounted to 21 pages, it was sent to the European Rights Committee and the United Nations Civil Society Chamber.”
Daoud affirmed: “Those parties are still silent about Turkey’s crimes against the people of the region, while they must pressure Turkey to release the Syrians’ share of the Euphrates water and avoid a real humanitarian catastrophe.”
At the end of his speech, Ahmed Daoud called on the international community and humanitarian and human rights organizations to: “Abide by their moral and humanitarian duty towards the people of the region and handle this issue in international forums, and hold Turkey accountable for its use of water as a weapon against the peoples of North and East Syria Syria in particular and the Syrian people in general.”