Thousands in Zurich protest Turkey’s Syria offensive
Turkey says it wants to create a "safe zone" free of militia it sees as terrorists, but Ankara has drawn widespread condemnation, including from Switzerland.
Keystone
Several thousand Kurds and sympathisers demonstrated on Saturday afternoon in Zurich against the Turkish offensive in northern Syria. Several hundred also protested in Bellinzona in southern Switzerland.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jc
The participants chanted shouts like “Turkish army out of Kurdistan”, “Erdogan, terrorist” and “Stop the terror”. There were no incidents, according to Zurich city police.
This comes after some 1,000 mainly Kurdish people held a similar protest in Bern on Friday and 250 in Geneva.
The protestors called for Syria to “get out of Kurdistan” and for Switzerland to act by imposing economic and diplomatic sanctions against Turkey.
Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis on Thursday criticised the Turkish military operation in northern Syria, calling it a flagrant violation of international law. His ministry had earlier issued a statementExternal link saying that any further escalation of violence in northeast Syria “would have serious consequences for the already suffering civil population”.
Fierce fighting was reported on Saturday as Turkish forces launched an attack on the key Kurdish border town of Ras Al-Ain.
More than 100,000 people have fled their homes since the offensive began on Wednesday, according to the UN, which warns of humanitarian disaster.
A major concern for the international community is also the fate of thousands of suspected Islamic State prisoners, including many foreign nationals, being guarded by Kurdish-led forces in the region.
Turkey’s President Erdogan has said he wants to create a “safe zone” in northern Syria free of Kurdish militias which Turkey sees as terrorists. Erdogen says the zone could also be home to more than 3 million Syrian refugees currently in Turkey.
More
More
Swiss foreign minister criticises Turkish offensive in Syria
This content was published on
Ignazio Cassis has criticised the Turkish military operation in northern Syria calling it a flagrant violation of international law.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
The Fête de l'Epouvantail (scarecrow festival) is celebrating its 30th anniversary and returns to Denens in canton Vaud for its seventh edition from July 10-20.
This content was published on
A 35-year-old man has died in a work accident at the valley station of the Heimwehfluh toboggan run in Matten near Interlaken, canton Bern.
This content was published on
The Swiss embassy in Tehran re-opened on Sunday after being closed on June 20 owing to the unstable situation in the country.
This content was published on
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and her youngest daughter Princess Ariane attended the Netherlands' women's European Championship football match against Wales in Switzerland on Saturday.
Swiss want to better protect military airfields from spying
This content was published on
Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister says he wants to better protect Swiss military airfields against espionage activities.
Man charged with flying drone at women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
A man flew a drone around the venue on Wednesday evening during the first match of the Women's EURO 2025 in St. Gallen. The 30-year-old violated the absolute ban on flying during match days. He was reported to the police.
More than 250 Swiss companies sign CO2 reduction initiative
This content was published on
A total of 257 companies from Switzerland have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). In doing so, they are committing to CO2 reduction targets that are compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Swiss accident prevention group sees federal targets at risk
This content was published on
The Swiss government's target for accident figures is at risk, reckons Mario Cavegn, member of the executive board of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.
Feminicide: Swiss justice minister calls for electronic monitoring
This content was published on
Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans has called for electronic monitoring and an ankle bracelet warning system for perpetrators of violence against women.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss foreign minister sees Syrian peace within reach
This content was published on
Switzerland, as the host state for Geneva’s peace process for Syria, supports the rapid establishment of a Syrian constitutional committee.
What should be done with foreigners who joined Islamic State?
This content was published on
A look at the options and the challenges for states when dealing with citizens who have been linked to the Islamic State.
Number of Turkish asylum-seekers more than doubles
This content was published on
The number of Turkish refugees in Switzerland has risen by around 130% since a failed coup against the Turkish president three years ago.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.