Protecting women’s rights, pluralism, and democracy in Syria need not involve endless war or nation-building efforts. The United States simply has to support the people on the ground who are fighting for these values every day—and refuse to cut a blank check for Erdogan’s aggression.

Meghan Bodette is an independent researcher focused on the women’s movement in North and East Syria and women’s rights in the Syrian conflict. She is the creator of the Missing Afrin Women Project, which tracks kidnappings and disappearances of women and girls in Turkish-occupied Afrin. She holds a degree in International Politics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

Image: Reuters.