FİDAN ABDULLAH

 Shahba- At the end of July, the Turkish forces and Turkish-backed factions set fire to the area between the villages of Adamo and Alabski in the Rajo town of Afrin. For two weeks, the fires have not been extinguished, reaching many villages.

 Since the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions occupied Afrin, more than 391,000 trees, 12,000 hectares of agricultural land have been burned down and about half a million olive trees and more than 21 million trees of various species have been cut down in Afrin, according to the figures of the Afrin-Syria Human Rights Organization.

‘The Turkish state commits crimes not only against people but also nature’

 “The Turkish state has been setting fire to the forests and agricultural land of the Rajo town of occupied Afrin for more than two weeks,” said Fatima Muhammed, member of the Peoples’ Municipalities of Afrin-Shahba Canton. “For six years, the Turkish forces and Turkish-backed factions have been destroying nature and trees in the villages and towns of Afrin. The Turkish state commits crimes not only against people but also nature.”

‘The Turkish state must be held accountable’

The Turkish state has been committing a crime by cutting down centuries-old trees and destroying the natural environment in Afrin, Fatima Muhammed added, stressing that the Turkish state tries to cover the crimes committed by it. “I call on all environmental organizations to intervene in order to extinguish the fires in Afrin. The fires set by the Turkish state in Afrin destroy nature and civilian homes and properties. The Turkish state must be held accountable for its crimes against people and nature in Afrin.”

   

‘The trees were planted by our grandparents’

“The Turkish state has been destroying our nature since it occupied Afrin,” Hamida Arif, a displaced woman of Afrin living in Shahba. “The Turkish forces and Turkish-backed factions have cut down centuries-old trees and set fire to our forests. The trees cut down by them were planted by our grandparents. My dream is to return to Afrin and plant trees there.”

    

‘Afrin is known for its nature’

Afrin is known for its nature, said Hevî Abdo, another displaced woman of Afrin living in Shahba. Since the Turkish state occupied Afrin, it has turned Afrin into ashes. We have been facing difficulties since we were displaced from Afrin and we want to return to Afrin one day. We will keep resisting until we return to our homeland.