SDC leader criticizes global silence on Turkish expansion in Syria’s Afrin
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Ilham Ahmad, the President of the Executive Committee of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), said on Tuesday that double standards of the international community are behind Turkey’s Ottoman expansion project in Afrin.
This came during a panel discussion on Afrin which was held in Aleppo northern countryside under the title “Afrin between the Turkish Occupation and International Interests” on Tuesday which will last for two days.
The panel was attended by 90 representatives of organizations and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), as well as independent personalities, most of who participated virtually via Zoom Platform.
On May 3, the Turkish President revealed preparations for a new project that would allow the “voluntary return” of one million Syrian refugees to the Turkish-controlled areas in northern Syria.
“Afrin issue is purely political, targeting the cultural depth of Afrin’s indigenous residents, by directly changing the region’s identity,” Ahmad said.
In 2018, Turkish military and its affiliated Syrian National Army (SNA) launched an offensive on Afrin region and occupied it following two months of battles with the Kurdish People’s Protections Units (YPG).
“At a time when the Arab League talks about disturbing Israeli settlements in Palestine, Turkey is building settlements with the support of Arab countries,” Ahmad added.
Ahmad considered that the international silence over what Turkey is doing in northern Syria is “an order issued by countries looking for their interests, turning a blind eye to the right of the land owner [indigenous people of Afrin].”
“This silence is all because Turkey is a member of NATO, and it can be tolerated. In fact, these standards have become exposed, and they must be disposed of, because they are against humanity.”
She called on the people of Afrin to hold on to their land and keeps demanding to return to their homes in their areas of origin.