Funeral of Turkish drone victims turned into mass demonstration in Syria’s Qamishli
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – In a solemn procession, thousands of residents of Qamishli, northeast Syria, participated in a funeral ceremony of three people from the same family, including an 86-year-old man, who were killed two days ago by a Turkish drone in al-Hilaliya neighborhood in Qamishli city.
In addition to the sadness that has spread over the city since two days ago, the funeral turned into a mass demonstration. The participants carried banners condemning the Turkish operation, and what they described as the threats posed by Turkey for years, carrying out military operations in Afrin, Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Tel Abyad.
Early in the morning, the shops were closed and the city seemed to be in a state of mourning. People gathered in front of Gulo family’s house, and in squares near al-Hilaliya preparing for the funeral ceremony.
Near the body of Grandfather Youssef Gulo, one of his close friends, who is disabled, took a last look.
Yesterday, hundreds of the city residents protested against the Turkish bombing of the family’s car.
The protesters gathered in al-Hilaliya neighborhood, and a mourning tent was set up at the site of the attack.
This attack is a clear violation by Turkey of the de-escalation agreements signed by Turkey separately with both Russia and the US in October 2019, North Press reported security sources.
Hours after the event, the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish) said in a statement that a Turkish drone bombed the victims’ car, which immediately killed them.
Yesterday, Ilham Ahmad, the President of the Executive Committee of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), called on the international community to put an end to Turkish violations against the Kurds and hold them accountable for their crimes.
“The incident is evidence that Turkey continues committing its frequent crimes and its way in assassinating the civilians, children and the elderly,” North Press reported, Kan’an Barakat, the co-chair of the Internal Board of the Jazira Region.
Barakat called on the international community, especially the UN, human rights organizations, the Global Coalition, and the guarantors of the ceasefire, Russia and the US, to directly intervene in order to stop the repeated Turkish attacks on the region.
“Unfortunately, these sides take their interests into account when it comes to the Turkish aggressions on the Syrian territory in general and northeast Syria in particular,” he added.
In a statement yesterday, the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), called on the international community to take a strict stance in terms of the Turkish attacks on northeast Syria, and what it described as its clear violations of the de-escalation agreements.
The statement condemned the Turkish bombing, through a drone, of a car and killing three civilians from the family of Gulo.
The SDC considered the targeting “a clear threat to the security and stability that the regions of northeast Syria enjoy.”
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) held the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, and Russia responsible for the continued Turkish attacks and targeting of civilians in its areas of control.
In its statement, the AANES described the attack as “a serious development”.
Late in October, the Executive Council of the Euphrates Region of the AANES, held accountable the Global Coalition and Russia for the Turkish attacks on Kobani, north Syria.
On October 22, and for the second time in less than a week, Turkish drones targeted a civil vehicle in the city of Kobani.
Two civilians and three members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed, as well as injuring others in that attack.
On August 22, a Turkish drone bombed a military car in the village of Himo in the countryside of Qamishli, wounding some members of the SDF.
A week earlier before the incident, a Turkish drone targeted another car of the Autonomous Administration on the Qamishli-Amuda road near the Ali Fero junction, killing a leader in the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
The AANES denounced the frequent Turkish attacks saying that they come “to destabilize northeast Syria.”