Afrin IDPs: We will not return until YPG-YPJ liberate Afrin

The people of Afrin, whose lands were occupied by the invading Turkish regime and who were forced to migrate, are continuously threatened with death and kidnapping.

When the murderous operations began, the people of Afrin had to flee home. Previously, only Kurds lived in Afrin, but lately, foreigners from Syria and other nations have moved there. In the past, Kurds made up 95 per cent of Afrin’s population; today, only 20 per cent are Kurds.

Being a Kurd in Afrin means being kidnapped, insulted, cursed, beaten, and tortured. The invading Turkish state, which continues to commit atrocities against the people of Afrin, wishes to turn Afrin into a Turkish-Arab province by exterminating those who refuse to abandon their last territories.

The indigenous people’s migration began on January 20, 2018, with an assault carried out by the invading Turkish forces. Nearly 300,000 Afrin residents relocated in or near the region.

Fatima Weqas (65), a woman from Afrin, revealed that the invading Turkish state and its mercenaries confiscated their possessions in Afrin, adding, “Some of our relatives stayed in Afrin. They claim that if given the chance, they would like to leave Afrin and that they have no desire to live under occupation.”

Fatima Weqas, describing ENKS’s call for their return as a “plot against the people of Afrin,” emphasized that they do not believe such claims and will not return without an international guarantee.

“When we return, the gangs must leave Afrin so that we can live a safe and stable life as before. We will never return unless the YPG is present. We are the owners of the revolution and the martyrs. Without them, our return is risky,” Fatima Weqas said.

Another displaced resident from Afrin, Rustem Henan (46) stated that kidnapping, torture, ransom, and confiscation of people’s property continue in Afrin.

Henan indicated that they would not return to Afrin even if given a promise because they do not trust the invading Turkish state, adding, “Afrin is not their property; Turkey is an invader. Even if they offer us a guarantee, their attacks on us will continue since they are hostile to us.”

Rustem Henan stated that they will not return as long as the invading Turkish state is in Afrin, adding, “We will return home when Afrin is liberated by the YPG-YPJ.”

According to Rustem Henan, his relatives say the invaders have transformed Afrin into a Turkish city, and foreigners transported from various sections of Eastern Ghouta and Syria have been settled in the region.