Turkish state deliberately destroyed 68 schools in Afrin

The Turkish state bombed the school in the village of Qeramil in Shehba a few days ago. The bombing caused not only material damage but also interrupted the education of hundreds of students.

The Democratic Society Education Committee was forced to suspend education in some schools in the villages of Shehba Canton for the safety of students and teachers.

Bêrîvan Xelîl, co-chair of the Afrin Canton Democratic Society Education Committee, spoke to ANHA about the difficulties to provide education under constant threat of attack.

68 schools destroyed

Xelîl recalled the Turkish state’s attack on the primary school in the village of Qeramil on 3 February and underlined that the Turkish state destroyed 68 schools in Afrin with planes and artillery.

She pointed out that some schools have been turned into prisons and added that the Turkish state has made Turkish compulsory in the remaining schools and banned Kurdish.

Xelîl, who said that the Afrin administration re-established schools after they were forced to flee to Shehba, added that education in the mother tongue continues in these schools. Xelîl said that the Turkish state is trying to prevent the education of students by targeting these schools and their surroundings. “The Turkish state aims to deprive the society of knowledge and culture. The bombing of the schools in Shehba is part of the policy of occupation and demographic change implemented by Turkey in Afrin Canton.”