Autonomous Administration of Afrin cancels 7th anniversary celebration
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – The Autonomous Administration of Afrin canceled the celebration of the seventh anniversary of the announcement of the Autonomous Administration on Thursday, out of respect for the victims of the town of Tel Rifaat who were killed by Turkish strikes several days ago.
A statement of the Autonomous Administration of Afrin region was read in the Barkhwadan Camp for Afrin’s IDPs, as part of a protest to condemn the Turkish shelling on the town of Tel Rifaat.
Faiq Ahmed, the co-chair of the Local Administration Board of Afrin, told North Press that the Autonomous Administration came as a result of adopting the “third path” after the start of the Syrian war, moving away from a military solution.
“The Autonomous Administration came to meet the needs of the people and fill the gap in the administrative vacuum in the Afrin region after the Syrian government left it,” he added.
He pointed out that the city of Afrin under the Autonomous Administration was a haven for thousands of refugees fleeing from various conflict areas in Syria.
The Autonomous Administration of Afrin was declared on January 28, 2014, and included 14 bodies in addition to its executive and legislative councils.
The Autonomous Administration of Afrin lasted for four years before the start of Turkey and Turkish-backed armed opposition groups controlling the city of Afrin.
He stated that the Syrian government and the Russian guarantor are silent about the shelling of the northern countryside of Aleppo.
In the same context, hundreds of Afrin’s IDPs and the residents of Tel Rifaat protested on Thursday to condemn the Turkish shelling targeting their areas in the city of Tel Rifaat.
The protest began in front of the Russian base in the west of the town of Tel Rifaat, towards the center of the city, carrying banners reading, “No to international silence about Turkey’s crimes. ISIS slaughters women and Erdogan kills children.”