Thank you for your ongoing support as we work together to support the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. If you wish to reach out to your local media, we want to help you do so! Our main points that we wish to convey to the larger public are the need for increased humanitarian assistance to organizations on the ground in northwest Syria and our concerns about growing anti-sanction rhetoric. Please use our template below to email your local paper. We have also attached talking points to help guide your discussion. The media especially wants to hear from you if you are Syrian American or Turkish American and are collecting stories about those who have families and friends that have been directly affected in Turkey and Syria. If you have any questions, reach out to Jenny at [email protected]

Key Points for Media

• Right now, the priority is search and rescue operations. We need emergency aid, equipment, and personnel delivered to victims in northwestern Syria through any available avenues. We ask that the United States government increase its support for the White Helmets’ operations, including the delivery of fuel and spare parts for frontline rescue.
  
  
• The tragedy will be long-lasting, and many are now without shelter. We ask that the United States and any available international partners help coordinate the delivery of shelter assistance, winterization kits, and medical assistance to those who have lost their homes.
  
  
• Areas in northwestern Syria have long been a target of military and aerial bombardment campaigns by the Assad regime. The Assad regime and Russia have also isolated the NW from international aid. Many have suggested that lifting sanctions on the Assad regime would help. This is a false narrative. For years, the regime has weaponized aid, blocking the delivery of crucial assistance to these populations. This has led to a decimated civilian and medical infrastructure that is ill-equipped to respond to the hardest hit areas from the earthquake. Rewarding the regime for years of war crimes will not help earthquake victims.

Email Template

Hi [first name], 

My name is [your name], and I am [Syrian American, Turkish American, ally of the cause] and a supporter of the American Coalition for Syria (ACS). I’m reaching out to see if you’d be interested in running a story about how the Syrian/Turkish American community and allies are responding to the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. [if you have family in Syria or Turkey, please write about it here]. 

The two main priorities are getting aid into the northwest of Syria and responding to the calls to lift sanctions on Syria after the earthquake. You can read more about why anti-sanction rhetoric promotes a false narrative in the recent press release. Please visit the ACS website for a comprehensive summary of their response to the crisis.

I’d love to connect to tell you more about my experience with [explain how you are related to the topic] and the current priorities of the American Coalition for Syria. Let me know if this is of interest. 

Best,
[your name]