Anniversary of occupation in Afrin: Hold the Turkish state responsible for its crimes

“We live in hope to return to our homeland,” said Naima Rasho, a displaced woman of Afrin, calling on international human rights organizations to “hold the Turkish state responsible for its crimes against us”.

Raqqa- The people of Afrin resisted for 58 days against the occupying attacks launched by the Turkish state in Afrin on January 20,2018. During the resistance called “Resistance of the Age”, the people of Afrin faced the heavy Turkish attacks and paid heavy prices.

A new forced displacement

Thousands of people of Afrin had to leave their homeland to safe areas of North and East Syria. Since 2018, the people living in Afrin have been subjected to many war crimes such as killing, looting, kidnapping, rape and torture by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions. Some displaced people of Afrin settled in Shahba and resisted there despite all difficult living conditions; however, the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions attacked Shahba, displaced the people of Afrin for the second time.

‘The Turkish state aims to revive the Ottoman Empire’

“The Turkish state aims to revive the Ottoman Empire,” said Meryem Bilal, Co-chair of the Afrin Social Association in Raqqa, condemning the Turkish genocidal attacks. “The Turkish state aims to annihilate the Kurdish people by displacing people and changing the demographic structure of the region.”

Kidnaping, harassment, rape, massacres…

Meryem Bilal also spoke about the occupation of Afrin. “The Turkish state occupied Afrin on January 20, 2018, banning people from speaking Kurdish. Children are forced to learn Turkish in schools. The city of Afrin has witnessed very scary, tragic and sad scenes. Young people, especially women, are subjected to arbitrary arrests in Afrin. Turkish-backed factions demand a ransom from their families for their release. Women living in Afrin are subjected to many rights violations, including kidnapping, harassment, rape and massacres. Many women are behind bars but there is no information about them. The attacks on the nature of the city also continue. Turkish-backed factions have cut down olive trees and demanded taxes from the people in the name of public security.”

‘We will support their resistance’

On November 27, 2024, the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions intensified their attacks on Shahba and Til Rıfat, forcing the displaced people of Afrin taking shelters in Shahba and Til Rıfat to flee to other safe places in northeastern Syria. “The displaced people of Afrin have been forcibly displaced for the second time by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions. The people displaced from Afrin, Shahba and Til Rıfat say they continue their resistance. We vow to stand with them and to support their resistance.”

‘We still live in hope’

“We still live in hope to return to our homeland,” said Naima Reşho, a displaced woman from Afrin’s Jindires town, drawing attention to difficult living conditions in camps. “We have been forcibly displaced for the second time by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions. Due to freezing temperatures, we faced many challenges on our way to safe areas. Many people died on the way. We always face attacks, suffering, displacement and death. We do not know what the Turkish state wants from us and attacks civilians. Despite everything, we still live in hope to return to our homeland. We resist all difficult living conditions.”

Naima Reşho also called on countries and international human rights organizations to “stop the ongoing Turkish attacks and hold the Turkish state responsible for its crimes against us.”