Protests erupted across Turkey on Monday as the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and several bar associations condemned Turkey’s recent airstrikes in northern Syria, the Bianet news website reported.
The strikes, carried out in Kurdish-controlled areas known locally as Rojava, were launched in response to a recent attack by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Ankara that killed five people.
DEM Party protests took place in Kurdish-majority provinces such as Diyarbakır, Mardin, Urfa, Van, Siirt and Hakkari as well as in Mersin and Adana. Protesters denounced the strikes, citing the destruction of civilian infrastructure and urging the Turkish government to pursue peace instead of military action. They emphasized that civilian areas, including homes and public buildings, were hit in the attacks involving Turkish fighter jets and drones, reportedly killing at least 27 people.
At a protest in Urfa, DEM Party deputy Ferit Şenyaşar condemned the airstrikes, saying, “Civilian areas were bombed indiscriminately, causing the death of women, children and other noncombatants.” He added that Turkey’s current military actions, including those in Palestine and Syria, were contributing to regional instability.
In Mardin DEM Party provincial chair Mecla Acıbuca urged the Turkish government to cease airstrikes and called on Turkish citizens to oppose the military campaign. “We call on the government to immediately halt these violations of international law,” Acıbuca said. “We urge the people of Turkey to stand up against this government and support efforts for peace within and outside Turkey’s borders.”
Bar associations join condemnation
A coalition of 10 bar associations also released a joint statement criticizing the government’s reliance on military force over diplomatic solutions to address the Kurdish issue. “Choosing security measures over peaceful approaches has only caused pain and suffering throughout our history,” the statement said, referring to Turkey’s long-standing conflict with Kurdish groups. The bar associations highlighted that many of the areas targeted in northern Syria, including Kurdish communities, had become safe zones for civilians following years of conflict.
The statement called on Turkey’s government to adopt peaceful policies with neighboring communities, arguing that this approach would strengthen Turkey’s internal stability and social harmony. The statement was endorsed by bar associations from the provinces of Ağrı, Batman, Diyarbakır, Hakkâri, Iğdır, Muş, Siirt, Urfa, Şırnak and Van.
Turkey views the Kurdish-led administration in Rojava as an extension of the PKK, which it considers a terrorist organization. The recent airstrikes mark another chapter in Turkey’s ongoing conflict with Kurdish groups in both Turkey and Syria.