Turkey's intellectuals call for retreat in Syria after Idlib attack

Duvar English

Over 60 intellectuals from Turkey have signed a petition titled "Hands off Syria, Soldiers Back Home" after at least 36 soldiers were killed and dozens were wounded by Syrian forces in one of the most brutal attacks in the country's history.

The petition, the signatories of which include academics, journalists and politicians, calls for a retreat of Turkish military forces from Northern Syria, where over 50 soldiers from Turkey have died in the past month.

"We the signatories see our country pulled into a deadlock, our kids dying in a battle they are being made to fight in another country, our reputation being damaged in front of the global community and our nation being used as an imperialist pawn and a sponsor of religious terrorism," read the statement accompanying the petition.

As of Feb. 28, 10.40 p.m., the 64 signatories were Alevi Bektashi Federation former Chair Ali Balkız, author Alpaslan Savaş, author Asaf Güven Aksel, author Aydemir Güler, Aziz Konukman, journalist and author Barış Pehlivan, journalist and author Barış Terkoğlu, Gazeteci – Yazar, academic Barış Zeren, short film director Batukan Ceyran, illustrator Canol Kocagöz, journalist and author Ceyda Karan, pianist Dengin Ceyhan, theater actress Didem Alesoy, Turkologist author Ece Ataer, musician and author Ekrem Ataer, theater artist Ender Yiğit, journalist and author Enver Aysever, author Erendiz Atasü, Prof. Erhan Nalçacı, journalist and author Fatih Yaşlı, musician Gülcan Altan, author Hürriyet Yaşar, retired professor İsmail Üstün, General Secretary of Turkey's Communist Party Kemal Okuyan, retired professor Korkut Boratav, theater actor Levent Üzümcü, poet Mehmet Barış, Chief Editor of Sol Daily Mehmet Kuzulugil, theater actor Metin Coşkun, President of Association for Women and Children First Müjde Tozbey Erden, musician Murat Güner, journalist Musa Ağacık, journalist and author Mustafa Hoş, former Chair of Turkey's Union of Judges Mustafa Karadağ, journalist and author Mustafa Kemal Erdemol, professor Mustafa Türkeş, art director Mustafa Ziya Ülkenciler, photographer Nazım Serhat Fırat, musician Nejat Yavaşoğulları, academic Neval Oğan Balkız, painter Nihal Martlı, poet Nihat Behram, retired professor Oğuz Oyan, painter Olgu Ülkenciler, theater actor Orhan Aydın, journalist and author Orhan Gökdemir, theater actor Özgür Başkaya, professor Rıfat Okçabol, retired professor Saadet Ülker, illustrator Sait Munzur, economic historian Serdar Şahinkaya, author Serpil Güvenç, photographer Sinan Kılıç, theater actor Şükrü Veysel Alanyalı, journalist Şule Aydın, author Suphi Varım, poet and author Tuğrul Keskin, journalist Uğur Güç, journalist Ulaş Can, theater actor Vedat Kuşku, band Yapıcılar Orchestra, former deputy of the Workers Party of Turkey (TİP) Yusuf Ziya Bahadınlı, Prof. Zuhal Okuyan.