For approximately more than twenty days, ISIS gangs have been waging extremely violent and cruel attacks against the district of Kobanê along the southern border of our nation. Faced with massacre, the residents of Kobanê are in the midst of defending their city despite extremely difficult conditions.

In addition to their support of ISIS – which is completely contrary to our nation’s principles of secularism— despite numerous warnings about the dangers ISIS poses, and their continuing silence on the massacre of the people of Kobanê, the AKP government is now responsible for extreme police violence against those in the region who will not remain silent while their relatives and loved ones are being murdered, as well as against those who have taken to the streets throughout our nation calling for an immediate stop to this slaughter.

Consistently and willfully choosing to ignore all previous national and international warnings, this government now finds itself faced with the unfortunate consequences of its misguided policies in the international arena: the commencement of the massacre of the people living in the neighboring villages along the border with Kobanê and Suruç.

Since yesterday the police force enlisted by this government to suppress public sentiment in protest of ISIL attacks has increasingly taken to more violent measures throughout the land, resulting in many deaths. Likewise civil paramilitary groups with either right-wing fascist or religious agendas have begun to mercilessly attack Kurdish citizens and protestors both in the eastern and western regions of our country. Up until now at least 12 individuals have died and dozens remain wounded. And the police stand by watching, doing nothing. Already in five provinces the government has ordered all residents to remain indoors with a 24-hour curfew, and this number will most likely increase.

This government, which has not only neglected to adopt an appropriate stance towards the massacres and attacks in Kobanê and has chosen to ignore the cries for help throughout our nation, is also now responsible for creating increasing civil strife through its violent suppression of peaceful protests-- in addition to laying the ground for war.

We, the Greens and Future Left Party, remain at the side of the Kurdish population as they defy the inhumane conditions in Kobanê. We refuse to watch in silence from the distance the ethnic cleansing by fanatical gangs of the Kurds who have lived in this region of the Middle East since time immemorial.

We call upon all nations, human rights organizations and the political opposition of our own country to raise their voices against the massacres already committed as well as the continuing threat against the lives of those along the borders of Turkey and throughout the entire region.

The cries of the Kurds threatened with massacre in Kobanê need to be heard throughout the entire world. Kobanê is not the only place threatened – this present fire will only spread. It threatens our entire nation: what we seeing happening in Kobane has the potential to be repeated in our streets and cities. It is for this reason we call upon the government to relinquish its current position of non-intervention before it is too late, and to extend active support to Kobanê.

We call upon all those with a conscience and regard for human life to support the Kurdish people and demand an immediate stop to these massacres.

We say yes to peace, not war and violence, and no to the closing of one’s eyes to these massacres!

The Kurdish people are not alone. It will be impossible to maintain peace in this land while willfully ignoring the will of the people who desire to live together in peace with one another. We thus say yes to living NOT dying together!

Finally we call upon the public opinion of Turkey to put an end to the policies presently being followed by the AKP government, which are laying the ground for further internal strife, and to join the people of Kobanê in their struggle against these massacres for the sake of peace.

In the name of universal human rights and the principles of democracy, we urge all international powers and states, as well as civil groups and human rights organizations, to take immediate action against ISIS and recognize the autonomous administration in Rojava, which offers the hope of peace and democracy for the people of the Middle East.

Sevil Turan and Naci Sönmez, co-spokespeople of the Greens and Left for the Future Party