Letter written by MEPs to PM Davutoğlu on the situation in Sur

18 members of the European Parliament have sent a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu calling for an end to the 87 days long siege in Amed’s central Sur district. MEPS called for urgent action to avoid another Cizre case in Sur.
The 18 parliamentarians had been on a visit to Amed city last week for an observation at the scene and talks with officials regarding the situation in the district of Sur. Upon their return from Turkey, members of the European Parliament have written a letter to PM Davutoğlu, which says the followings;
“Urgent Call for a Peaceful Solution to the Humanitarian State of Affairs in Sur District of Diyarbakır.
The historic Sur district of Diyarbakır remains under curfew since the 11th of December 2015.
The artillery shelling has greatly destroyed the infrastructure in Sur.
An unknown number of civilians estimated to be around 200 including children aged between 10 to 15 and several wounded are trapped in basements. Civilians cannot get out of their houses due to the ongoing shelling, while dead bodies remain lying in the streets.
Turkish officials confirm there are 131 civilians and 25 PKK members in Sur.
In consideration of the urgency of the situation, we call upon Turkish officials to create conditions to enable the rescue of civilians, children first, and ensure the attainment of a resolution to the crisis.
We insistently recommend a suspension of the curfew and realization of a 24-hour truce in order for a safe evacuation of the wounded from the area.
Please do not let another humanitarian disaster like the one in Cizre where 158 civilians trapped in basements lost their lives.
We furthermore call upon the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, and heads of the EU states to urgently treat the dramatic situation in Sur.”
The letter is signed by the following members of the European Parliament;
Elena Valenciano, Subcommittee on Human Rights, Chair of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Spain
Michael Gahler, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats), Germany
Richard Howitt, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, United Kingdom
Charles Tannock, Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Conservatives and Reformists Group, United Kingdom
Mark Demesmaeker, Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Conservatives and Reformists Group, Belgium
Yana Toom, Committee on Culture and Education, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Estonia
Takis Hadjigeorgiou, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left, Cyprus
Marie-Christine Vergiat, Subcommittee on Human Rights, Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left, France
Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy Group, Italy
Rebecca Harms, Co-Chair Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Germany
Bodil Valero, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Sweden
Ernest Maragall, EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Spain
Ska Keller, EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Germany
Josep-Maria Terricabras, Vice-Chair of Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Spain
Helga Trüpel, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Germany
Tatjana Zdanoka, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Latvia
Michel Reimon, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Austria
Terry Reintke, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Germany