“Turkish occupation in Syria must end” – NE Syria Autonomous Administration
Qamishli – North-Press Agency
Abdul Halim Suleiman – Avin Sheikhmous
The co-chair of the Executive Board of the Autonomous-Administration in North and East Syria held a press conference on Sunday in the Bureau of Foreign Relations in Qamishli, in northeastern Syria regarding the latest developments in the region. The statement read out by the co-chair of the Executive Board Abdul Hamid al-Mahbash, beginning with statements describing the exposure of the components of northeastern Syria to brutal attacks and massacres by the Turkish occupation and its affiliated armed opposition groups.
The statement stressed that the silence and lack of clear position by the United States and Russia, in addition to the visit of the United Nations Secretary-General Guterres, legitimize the Turkish military invasion and gives Erdogan more boldness.
The statement also called on all the international countries and humanity to raise their voices against the annihilation of the Kurdish, Arab and Syriac communities and against the Turkish military attacks on northeastern Syria and the demographic change, in addition, to show a stance towards this brutality.
The Autonomous-Administration also appealed to the United States, Russia, the Global Coalition, the European Union, the Arab League, and the United Nations to show a clear stance against the Turkish military invasion, and to seek the withdrawal of the occupying forces from Syrian territories as soon as possible. The Administration also called on the Syrian government to develop dialogue and consensus, explaining that the components of northeastern Syria have no purpose to divide Syria.
Al-Mahbash added: "Everyone should stay away from thinking about Syria going back to 8 years ago, it is better to accept the other and develop a solution with each other". The Administration expressed its readiness to carry out its duties and responsibilities, for a democratic Syria in which all peoples enjoy their identity and rights.
The Administration stressed that the villages, cities and areas of civilians have been subjected to shelling and destruction in northeastern Syria, adding that human rights are being violated and war crimes are being committed on a daily basis, such as the assassination of the politician “Hevrin Khalaf”, and the pastor of the Armenian Catholic Church in Qamishli Father Houseib Biduyan and his father.
Al-Mahbash also recalled the killing of hundreds of women and children and the use of internationally prohibited weapons, in conjunction with the efforts of demographic change and massacres against the components of northeastern Syria. He also pointed out to the Turkish aims to settle what the statement described as remnants of extremist grow who were trained under the auspices of the Turkish regime, within the areas of northeastern Syria.
The statement recalled the experience of Turkey and its affiliated armed groups in Afrin of displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians and settling the families of the armed groups, ISIS and al-Nusra instead, kidnapping, looting, and theft amid continuous international silence towards all violations, massacres and demographic change.
He also pointed to the presence of the former leader of the Islamic State terrorist group (ISIS) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Idlib, which is under the control of Turkey, and the killing of his deputy in Jarablus and the arrest of relatives of al-Baghdadi in areas under Turkish control. He stressed that the lack of any stance towards the Turkish threats in the region is "a great stigma", where neither the Syrian state nor any other party, has expressed a stance towards the threats and ambitions of Erdogan.
Al-Mahbash stressed that the Turkish regime opened its doors to the refugees following a systematic scheme. They were organized and resettled in Turkey to be used as a threat and blackmail against humanity in general and Europe in particular, immorally and far from all standards.
He pointed to the presence of more than ten thousand of the most radical ISIS detainees who were captured in northern Syria, and that the greatest threat of ISIS will emerge from now on and that the Turkish attacks on northern Syria are reviving the terrorist group of ISIS.
The co-chair of the Executive Board of the Autonomous-Administration Berivan Khaled confirmed in response to questions from journalists that one of the main demands of the Autonomous-Administration of northeastern Syria is the presence of U.N. peacekeepers in the area between Ras al-Ain (Sere-Kaniye) and Tal Abyad (Gire Spi).