Several trade unions, the Senate and the local Australian-Kurdish community have called on the federal Coalition government to condemn Turkey鈥檚 invasion of north-eastern Syria, a region commonly known as Rojava.
Rojava, a de facto autonomous region comprised of Kurds, Arabs and other ethnic minorities, is self-governed through the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, which operates under the principles of ethnic and religious inclusion, feminism, ecology and social equality.
Threatened by this revolutionary democratic experiment on its border, Turkey, which also has a significant Kurdish population, launched an invasion of Rojava on October 9.
On October 15, the Senate passed a motion, moved by Labor Senator Penny Wong, calling on the government to 鈥渦rge Turkey to cease its unilateral military operations in Syria鈥.
The motion noted that Turkey鈥檚 military operations are 鈥渃ausing further destabilisation in the region, worsening the humanitarian disaster in Syria and risk undermining progress against [Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS]鈥.
It recognised that Kurdish forces in Syria 鈥渉ave been instrumental in fighting鈥 ISIS, losing more than 10,000 fighters in this struggle.
The motion was passed with support of The Greens and some independents.
Geelong Trades Hall Council demanded the government 鈥渃ondemn Turkey鈥檚 invasion and pressure the US government and NATO to stop supplying arms or financial or political aid to the Turkish regime鈥 in a statement released on October 11.
The Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association, the Maritime Union of Australia (Victorian branch) and the Health Services Union (SA/NT branch) have also issued similar calls, as has the Sydney Stop the War Coalition.
Meanwhile, protests have been held in various cities, largely organised by the Australian-Kurdish community.
To date, the government has only 鈥渦rged restraint" and called on "all parties to the conflict in Syria to avoid escalatory or opportunistic actions that cause further instability and humanitarian suffering鈥.