HESNA MIHEMED

Shahba- The Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions continue to commit crimes against humanity in the areas controlled by them. In Afrin, 130 people, including seven women and children, were kidnapped, two women and two children were killed and two girls were raped by the members of the Turkish-backed factions in the first five months of 2024, Afrin News 24 reported by compiling news from local newspapers, news websites and news agencies.

In an interview with NuJINHA, Sûzan Oso and Şerîn Ahmed, members of Kongra Star, said that they resisted to return to Afrin.

“We have endured all difficult conditions to return’

Sûzan Oso had to leave Afrin to protect her children from the invaders. “We have endured all difficult living conditions to return to Afrin,” she said.

“We have continued to resist for an honorable return to Afrin since Afrin was occupied by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions. In Afrin, women and girls are killed, tortured and raped. Due to the occupation, there is no security and stability in Afrin. Children, especially girls, are deprived of many of their rights, especially their right to education. Girls cannot go out because they are sexually abused by invaders.”

‘Parents marry off their daughters to protect them’

Sûzan Oso recalled that a girl was recently raped by the members of the Turkish-backed factions in Afrin and said, “It was not the first or the last! The rate of child marriage is on the rise in Afrin because parents marry off their daughters to protect them from the members of the Turkish-backed factions. I call on all international organizations, especially women’s organizations, to take an urgent action in order to stop practices that ignore women's rights in the occupied areas.”

‘Rights violations should be made heard’

The Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions commit crimes against humanity in Afrin every day, Şerîn Ahmed said, stressing that women and children are the most subjected to rights violations in the occupied areas.

“They aim to destroy the will and existence of women. The ongoing rights violations in Afrin will be never accepted or ignored. We call on international organizations to send a delegation to Afrin in order to document the rights violations. Rights violations in Afrin should be made heard all around the world. We call them to protect the rights of the people, especially women, of Afrin.”