Since October, Turkey has ramped up its attacks on North-East Syria. Increasingly, they are targeting civilians and their infrastructure, especially with the striking of power plants, hospitals, grain silos and water stations. These attacks are blatant violations of the Geneva Conventions and signify a total disregard for human life. The damage has been so devastating that half of all civilian infrastructure there is now destroyed. 

Rojava is the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North-East Syria (DAANES), a society which adheres to the libertarian socialist principles emphasized in Abdullah Öcalan’s ideology of democratic confederalism. They have enshrined women’s equality through active female participation in all scores of democratic and organizational life. Rojava is a movement fighting for self-determination, cooperative economy, social ecology and against the ultranationalist, far-right government of Turkey and Islamic State forces in the region. 

We demand that our DSA-member United States Representatives, especially Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib respect the will of the people of Rojava and vote to keep U.S. troops on the ground in North-East Syria, which are vital in maintaining suppression of IS forces and preventing further Turkish advancements. This is not a call for U.S. occupation of North-East Syria, or indefinite deployment of U.S. troops there; we desire that the U.S. retain existing support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) until Turkey and its militia affiliates withdraw from the Afrin region and commit to no further aggression to Rojava and its people. Moreover, we ask of our public officials that the U.S place Economic and Political Sanctions on the far-right leadership of Turkey, put an end to the sale and delivery of weapons to Turkey which is being used in a genocide against the Kurdish people and insist upon Rojava being given a seat at the Syrian peace negotiations.

Further, we demand the U.S. back out of the $20 billion F-16s deal with Turkey. We urgently call on DSA and YDSA chapters across the U.S. to combine their support for this petition and stand in solidarity with the revolution in Rojava. Solidarity forever!

#RiseUp4Rojava #WomenDefendRojava #SmashTurkishFascism 

Signed,

Young Democratic Socialists of America at Lawrence University

Young Democratic Socialists of America at UW-Madison

Young Democratic Socialists of America at Marquette University

Young Democratic Socialists of America at Princeton University

Libertarian Socialist Caucus of the Democratic Socialists of America

Young Democratic Socialists of America at UC-Merced

(this petition will be updated when more YDSA/DSA chapters sign on using this form)