SDC urges international community to end “Turkish occupation” in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) urged on Sunday the international community to act and end Turkey’s occupation of Afrin region, northwestern Syria, and other cities in northern Syria.
The SDC issued a statement on the sixth anniversary of the occupation of Afrin by Turkish forces along with their affiliated armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA).
“On March 18th marks the sixth anniversary of the occupation of the Afrin region, where the ongoing Turkish occupation and its affiliated factions persist their aggression against the indigenous Kurdish citizens. Also, these factions have carried out crimes of genocide in Afrin, Ras al-Ain, northeastern Syria, Tel Abyad, northern Syria, and other occupied areas in northern Syria,” the statement read.
“Turkey and its terrorist factions have resorted to the most brutal and heinous methods against the Kurdish population in the region,” including murder, abduction, rape, and forced disappearances.
The SDC pointed out that Turkey aims to change the demographics of the region after displacing more than 250,000 individuals and settling the families of SNA militants in their properties, in addition to funding the establishment of settlements.
Turkey is committing genocide and ethnic cleansing blatantly, which is confirmed by the evidence and information obtained from the people of Afrin. This is also revealed through documented reports of reliable organizations and watchdogs, the SDC said.
The statement also shed light on the murder of the Kurdish boy, Ahmad Khaled Ma’mo at the hands of a settler in the town of Jindires town in the southwest of Afrin, adding the popular outrage clearly shows that the original inhabitants reject Turkey’s projects in the area.
The SDC condemned Turkey’s continued occupation of areas in Syria, in addition to the acts and violations committed by Turkish forces and the SNA factions in Afrin and other occupied areas in northern Syria.
On Feb. 29, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a 74-pages report titled, “Everything is by the Power of the Weapon: Abuses and Impunity in Turkish-Occupied Northern Syria,” that Turkey bears responsibility for the serious abuses and potential war crimes carried out by its forces and affiliated SNA factions in areas under its occupation in northern Syria.
Additionally, HRW found that Turkish Forces and intelligence agencies were complicit and involved or oversaw these abuses.
Turkey, along with SNA factions, has carried out three cross-border military operations in northern Syria since 2016.
The first operation dubbed, Euphrates Shield, resulted in the occupation of the cities of Azaz, al-Bab, and Jarablus in the north of Aleppo.
In its second operation, Olive Branch, Turkey occupied the Kurdish-majority Afrin Region in the northwest of Aleppo in 2018.
In its third operation, Peace Spring, Turkey occupied the border strip stretching between the cities of Tel Abyad and Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) in northeast Syria in 2019.