The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) issued a written statement on the sixth anniversary of the Turkish occupation and its factions’ attacks on the cities of Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî, reaffirming that the Turkish occupation and its factions represent a direct threat to Syria’s territorial unity.
The DAANES statement on Thursday includes the following:
“On this day in 2019, the Turkish state, in cooperation with its affiliated armed factions, launched a large-scale assault on the cities of Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ain) and Girê Spî (Tal Abyad), targeting the security and stability of our peaceful regions. The invasion employed various types of weapons, including internationally prohibited ones, amid a disturbing international silence regarding the crimes and violations committed against our people.
This aggression led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians and the perpetration of grave human rights violations, including killings, abductions, looting, and the destruction of infrastructure. These actions form part of a systematic policy aimed at ethnic cleansing and demographic change in the occupied areas. To this day, Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî remain under occupation, and their inhabitants continue to suffer from insecurity and daily violations against civilians.
We, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, affirm that the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries pose a direct threat to Syria’s territorial integrity and stability. The liberation of the occupied territories and the dignified, safe return of their people is a national and humanitarian duty that cannot be neglected.
On this occasion, we pay tribute to the heroic martyrs from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), and our civilian population who bravely resisted the Turkish attacks and its affiliated factions, defending the land and dignity with their pure blood. Their sacrifices will forever remain in the conscience of our people, serving as a source of strength and inspiration to continue the struggle for freedom and stability.
In this context, we call on the Syrian transitional government to assume its national and humanitarian responsibilities, to work seriously toward ensuring the return of displaced residents to their homes, to stop the violations committed against them, and to take steps within a unified national framework aimed at ending the occupation and the demographic change policies practiced against our people in Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî.
We also emphasize the necessity of unifying all Syrian national efforts, across political, social, and community spectrums, to end the Turkish occupation, thwart its divisive projects, and work together for a democratic and united Syria based on justice, freedom, and equality for all its citizens.
Syria today stands at a new crossroads following the fall of the Ba’ath regime that ruled for decades through tyranny and oppression. The Syrian people still await genuine steps toward a safe and dignified return to their homes and the restoration of their right to live freely and honorably on their land.
The Syrian people rose and revolted against injustice and despotism to achieve the revolution’s goals of freedom, justice, and human dignity. It is the duty of all national and political forces to unite and work together to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of this people and to honor the great sacrifices made for building a new, free, and democratic Syria.
We in the Democratic Autonomous Administration renew our pledge to our people and our forces to continue the struggle by all legitimate means until the occupation ends, the displaced return to their homes, and a future is built where dignity, freedom, and justice prevail for all Syrians.”