ENKS demands Turkey to get opposition groups out of Syria’s Afrin
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, the Kurdish National Council in Syria (ENKS), issued a statement on the third anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Afrin, northwest Syria, where it held Turkey responsible for getting the armed groups out of the region.
“After the Turkish control of Afrin, the violations increased, including killing, torture, kidnapping, theft and extortion under threat, in addition to the confiscation of private property,” the statement said.
“Olive trees were bulldozed, public facilities were destroyed, and archaeological and cultural sites were deliberately looted and vandalized,” the statement added.
The ENKS statement indicated that Turkey intended to settle families displaced from the areas of armed conflict in various Syrian cities, instead of returning the indigenous people of Afrin, who were displaced, as a result of the military operations.
It pointed out that Turkey aims to make a demographic change targeting the Kurdish presence there, adding that “the suffering of the people of Afrin is still continuing and worsening due to the daily violations.”
The ENKS condemned the violations committed against the residents of Afrin, and called on the international community, humanitarian and human rights organizations, and the United Nations organizations to stop them.
The statement called on the Syrian National Coalition to abide by the implementation of the agreement signed with the ENKS regarding the work to stop the violations and return the displaced to their homes.
On March 18, 2018, the Turkish forces and the Turkish-backed armed opposition groups took over Afrin region after nearly two months of battles with Kurdish forces.