- Title: Thousands of Kurds demonstrate in Germany against Turkey's offensive in Syria
- Date: 19th October 2019
- Summary: DEMONSTRATORS WITH PLACARD OF KILLED POLITICIAN HAVRON KHALAF
- Embargoed: 2nd November 2019 14:36
- Keywords: Kurden Demo Krieg Syrien Türkei
- Location: COLOGNE, BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: COLOGNE, BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA002B1RGPJB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands of Kurds living in Germany and their supporters protested in various cities in Germany against Turkey's military offensive against Kurdish-led forces in Syria.
In cities like Cologne and Berlin, which have large Kurdish communities, people took to street with flags and banners, demanding a stop to the offensive, and for the world to take notice. "And the entire world is looking on. The entire world is looking on! That makes me mad," said a protester in Cologne.
The demonstrators were peaceful in both cities with police out in force.
There have been minor clashes in recent weeks between Kurds and Turks in some German cities over the military action in Syria.
Turkey aims to set up a dozen observation posts across northeast Syria, insisting that a planned "safe zone" will extend much farther than U.S. officials said was covered under a fragile ceasefire deal.
Less than 24 hours after he agreed the five-day truce to allow Kurdish forces time to pull back from Turkey's crossborder assault, Erdogan underlined Ankara's ambition to establish a presence along 300 miles of territory inside Syria.
The truce, announced by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence after talks in Ankara with Erdogan, sets out a five-day pause to let the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia pull out of the Turkish "safe zone".
The deal was aimed at easing a crisis that saw Trump order a hasty and unexpected U.S. retreat, which his critics say amounted to abandoning loyal Kurdish allies that fought for years alongside U.S. troops against Islamic State.
The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Moscow and Tehran, has already taken up positions in territory formerly protected by Washington, invited by the Kurds.
The Turkish assault began after Trump moved U.S. troops out of the way following an Oct. 6 phone call with Erdogan.
Turkey says the "safe zone" would make room to settle up to 2 million Syrian war refugees - roughly half the number it is currently hosting - and would push back the YPG militia.
(Production: Peter Wirth, Leon Malherbe, Ute Swart) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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