Turkey occupied Syria’s Afrin with international green light, Ilham Ahmad
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Afrin was occupied while the entire world stood watching and with many countries granting a green light supporting Turkey in its military operation four years ago, said president of the Executive Committee of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), Ilham Ahmad, yesterday.
Afrin had been previously besieged from all sides and was isolated from areas held by the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (AANES), she added.
“Thus, Turkey thought Afrin is the weakest point. But it faced fierce resistance for nearly two months by its residents,” Ahmad added.
Ahmad made her remarks, yesterday, while receiving a delegation of Afrin IDPs coinciding with the fourth anniversary of the Turkish aggression on Afrin.
“All Syria is a victim of an international conspiracy where all parties are trying to drag the country according to their interests, and in Afrin, Turkey tried to present itself as a state that liberated the region from terrorists.”
Over four years till now, Turkey has not been able to administer the Afrin region, because councils and institutions established by it don’t relate to the region at all, as its projects have failed throughout Turkish-held regions in northwest Syria, according to Ahmad.
She stressed the need to end the Turkish invasion, and stop the systematic crimes and violations carried out in Afrin to ensure the safe and dignified return of its people.
All Afrini residents, who migrated abroad, have to assume to their obligations by disclosing the Turkish violations in front of international courts and organize marches, Ahmad noted.
During the meeting, the delegation of Afrin IDPs discussed with Ilham Ahmad several issues including ways and possibilities for the return, the Turkish violations against the region, and conditions of the residents of Shahba region in addition to the means of delivering humanitarian aid to them.
The attendees called on the international community and the influential powers involved in Syria to assume their legal and moral responsibilities to end the ongoing catastrophe in Afrin and stop suffering of its IDPs.
“On fourth anniversary of the Turkish invasion of our region, Afrin, we tried during our meeting with the SDC Command to make the voice of Afrin’s IDPs residing in Shahba regions heard to the public opinion,” in a statement to North Press, Asa’ad Mannan, a member of the General Council of the Democratic Union Party of Afrin, said.
“Four years have passed since we have been forced to flee our areas, and now it is time for the residents to return to their homes by liberating Afrin from the Turkish invasion,” he added.
IDPs of Afrin in Shahba areas are also besieged from all sides and they can hardly secure life basics, especially in winter in light of the fuel shortage and the absence of international organizations’ support to them, Mannan noted.