Die Linke MP Clara Bünger brought on the agenda of the German Federal Government the attacks of the Turkish state against civilian settlements in Rojava.

Reminding that the Turkish state has been intensively bombing Northern and Eastern Syria, especially since 4 October 2023, Bünger turned to Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann, who answered the questions on behalf of the Federal Government, and said: “In these attacks, civilians, women and children were killed, and civil infrastructures were bombed. Mr. Buschmann, while talking about the attacks against Israel, you pointed out that attacks that violate international law should not go unpunished. Likewise, the Scientific Service Unit of the Federal Assembly had previously reported that Turkey violated international law with these attacks. Well, Mr. Buschmann, as the Minister of Justice, don’t you think that the attacks targeting Northern and Eastern Syria constitute a violation of international law?”

Buschmann: civil areas should not be bombed

Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann answered: “From a humanitarian perspective, the issue of international law is clear and obvious. Civilian settlements should never be targeted and attacked, and civilian infrastructures should never be bombed. If such attacks occur, this would violate international law from a humanitarian perspective.”

Buschmann, a member of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), emphasized that the attacks on Northern and Eastern Syria are unacceptable from a humanitarian perspective and continued: “I do not have detailed information on this issue at the moment. However, carrying out attacks against civilian targets means violating international law.”

Clara Bünger said: “It is important that you consider Turkey’s attacks as a violation of international law from a humanitarian perspective. But why hasn’t the Federal Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into these attacks yet?”

Minister of Justice Buscmann dismissed the question by saying that “the issue of whether such an investigation will be opened is within the responsibility of the independent Federal Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. I will ask what criteria they have in this regard and get back to you later.”