Syria’s AANES stresses importance of liberating Turkish-occupied Afrin
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) said on Tuesday that the Turkish-occupied region of Afrin, northwest Syria, represents an “existing issue” till it is liberated and its displaced original people are secured a safe return.
This came in a statement by the AANES on the fifth anniversary of occupying Afrin by Turkey and its-backed armed Syrian opposition factions, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA).
In January 2018, the Turkish forces and the SNA factions launched “Olive Branch” military operation to push away the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of protecting “Turkish national security.”
The operation resulted in the occupation of Afrin along with its countryside and the displacement of more than 300.000 of the original people.
Invading Afrin was “a clear and public start towards occupying Syria, seeking to revive Turkey’s historic alleged role. Afrin was attacked in a well-defined deal,” the AANES said.
The Syrian war is “deliberately” exacerbated in light of talks about other deals that will be at the expense of the Syrian people, according to the statement.
Residents of Afrin, whose areas used to shelter thousands of Syrian IDPs, suffer from overwhelming humanitarian difficulties, the statement read.
There are about 16.000 displaced families from Afrin distributed to 42 villages and towns in the Shahba region, in addition to 1.870 families, comprising 7.500 individuals, now living in the camps of Barkhodan, Sardam, Afrin, al-Awda and Shahba, according to the Social Affairs and Labor Board of the Afrin region currently operating in Aleppo northern countryside.
Since the beginning of November last year, Syrian government forces have been imposing a siege on many villages and towns in the northern countryside of Aleppo, exacerbating the suffering of more than 200.000 original inhabitants and IDPs.
“Turkish occupation and terrorists practice the most horrible violations, including cultural and ethnic cleansing in Afrin, as it faces systematic extermination on all levels,” the AANES added.
“There will be no stability or solution in Syria without liberating Afrin and other Turkish-occupied areas,” the AANES stressed.