“350 thousand people who were forcibly displaced will take Afrin back”

Four years ago, the Turkish state and its mercenaries assaulted the northern Syrian canton of Afrin. The operation began after Russian forces withdrew from several positions throughout the canton. For 58 days, YPG and YPJ forces, as well as the residents of Afrin, fought constantly. These attacks were met with fierce resistance. On January 20, 2018, 350 thousand residents were displaced as a result of the occupation.

Şiraz Hemo, Co-chair of the Afrin Region Executive Council, spoke to ANHA on the 4th anniversary of the Turkish state’s and its mercenaries’ invasion attacks on Afrin. Şiraz Hemo called attention to the predicament of Afrin residents who migrated to Shehba, as well as the embargo imposed on Shehba by the Damascus government forces.

In 2018, the Turkish state and its mercenaries forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians from Afrin canton to Shehba canton. The immigrants have been in the camps for four years. What are their expectations?

First and foremost, we condemn the Turkish state’s brutal attacks on Afrin in 2018, as well as the international forces, international community, and legal groups that continue to remain silent in the face of them.

In the history of the Middle East and the world, there has been a tremendous deal of opposition to the Turkish state’s brutal attacks. A 58-day legendary resistance against a NATO troop and its sophisticated technologies began. The people were devoted to their homeland and refused to be invaded.

With the start of the Rojava revolution, the people of Afrin entered a major struggle, one of the most democratic processes, and formed a new experience, success, and a free and secure living. Those who have experienced freedom do not and will not accept surrender.

The Turkish state and its allies attempted to obliterate this experience. As a result, the Turkish state and its mercenaries displaced Afrin’s inhabitants. The commitment of Afrin IDPs to a free existence is stronger than ever. As a result, our people declared to the entire world that they opposed the invasion and insisted on returning to Afrin. The fact that the immigrants settled in Shehba sends a clear message to everyone: “We are at the Afrin border, and we will return.”

The Turkish state and its mercenaries continue to attack the canton of Shehba. In addition to the attacks, there is a particular war policy. What impact does this war have on society?

The transition of Afrin’s democratic experience to Shehba, as well as the presence of hundreds of thousands of immigrants on the Afrin border, naturally instilled dread in the invading Turkish state. As a result, military attacks against the will of the people and attempts to divide the society continue in many forms and techniques.

People in the region have great morale and are demonstrating military and political resistance. As a result, the Turkish state is waging a specific assault against the immigrants in Shehba, attempting to eradicate and divide the resistance.

Money, immigration, drug trafficking, conflict between Kurds and Arabs, and military threats are all forms of special warfare employed against our people. It is mostly aimed at women and young people. The goal is to destabilize the people’s cohesiveness and organization, as well as to fracture the resistance spirit. Of course, as the private conflict escalates, so will the people’s determination to reclaim Afrin.

Shehba has been subjected to a severe embargo by the Damascus administration. What are their objectives?

The Damascus government’s policies are no different than the Turkish state’s nasty policies. Both seek to break through the opposition and subdue it. The Damascus government wants to shatter the people’s resistance by subjecting the immigrants to famine. It also deprives people of basic necessities and attempts to subjugate the territory by aggravating the circumstances.

Most importantly, they seek to demolish the democratic and free-thinking values that the people of Afrin have adopted in Shehba. These threats and policies are being developed in front of the global and regional powers. We know that those who taste freedom will never accept capitulation or enslavement again. They insist on returning to their native land. Even if you ask any child in the camps, he will always say that he will return to Afrin. He’ll tell you that nothing is more important than Afrin.

What the Damascus government is doing is wrong because it makes immigrants’ lives even more difficult. We are in the winter months, and basic commodities, including gasoline, are not permitted to enter the region. It also restricts patients from receiving treatment outside of the region. We know that these measures have been implemented in accordance with the objectives of the invading Turkish state. They have sentenced the region to famine and capitulation.

From here, we urge the world community and legal groups to investigate the plight of hundreds of thousands of people stranded in this area. Those present are not only Afrin inhabitants, but also Syrians from other regions who had fled to Afrin before the invasion. The residents of Shehba canton, who also live here, are in a tough condition as a result of the embargo.

Do you have a message for the camps where Afrin refugees are staying on the 4th anniversary of the start of the attacks against Afrin?

The attacks on Afrin are a massive insult to the region’s heritage and the Syrian people’s noble revolution. Living under horrible conditions and having to endure agony all the time, we send a strong message to Turkey and all the countries that support it. No one can shatter the people’s desire to fight for their identity.

We pledge once more that in the following year, we will work to inform the entire world about Erdogan’s true nature. We will not back down from exposing this enemy’s corrupt policies, no matter where we are. We will strengthen the struggle and take initiatives to achieve political success. Our mission, speech, and objective are to return to Afrin.