SDF Commander: “The Afrin attacks are to keep ISIS standing”

Operation Cizire Storm Commander General Hasan Qamishlo pointed out that ISIS has started moving one more time with the Turkish state’s attacks against Afrin, stated that Erdoğan can never prevail in Afrin and called for solidarity.

Operation Cizire Storm General Command Member Hasan Qamishlo who has participated in most of the battles and operations in Rojava and Northern Syria spoke to the ANF about the Turkish state’s invasion attacks against Afrin.

“Today there is a silent massacre in Afrin. This massacre is happening in front of the whole world to see. They should go see Afrin’s villages and towns, they should investigate who is dying there. Are the dead YPG or PKK? All the martyrs in Afrin are of the people of Afrin. This way the Turkish state is trying to trick the international powers, they commit civilian massacres under the guise of fighting the PKK. This is in the culture of Turks. There is a very dirty propaganda in place in their press. And the silence of the international powers in the face of this is very telling. Russia’s reality is known already. Their treason in Mahabad cannot be forgotten. Russia’s policies are the same here as well. They consider their interests as a state above all human morality. This is dirty and immoral politics. Everything is built on interests. The coalition forces on the other hand are fighting ISIS together with the YPG, YPJ and the SDF, and their stance stands out the most.”

Hundreds of Kurdish children are massacred in Turkish state attacks. With NATO tanks and artilleries, with German tanks, a massacre is implemented in Rojava Kurdistan. What are they waiting for to call it what it is, a massacre? For 15 thousand people to die, like in Halabja? For the time when 500 people are beheaded, like ISIS did in Deir ez-Zor?

“All of our fighters here today have their eyes on Afrin. In spirit, they are all in Afrin. When we are asked, when it is necessary, we will fight against the Turkish state in Afrin with all we have. Our forces are ready for Afrin since day one. All fighters suggest it themselves. Our forces are on high alert for Afrin. Yes, we are fighting here, but our forces have their minds and souls in Afrin.”

“If it comes to it, we will do all we can to remove the Turkish state, Al Nusra and ISIS gangs from Afrin. This war looks like it will last a long time. They said they would finish the job in 2-3 days, but they have seen since that that won’t happen. Now they say they will bring the ‘true people of Afrin’ to Afrin. That is a genocide. They say, in front of the whole world to see, that they will massacre the people of Afrin. Like they did in Dersim, now they want to do the same in Afrin. They will kill the people of Afrin and bring in Al Nusra and gangs to settle them in. That is why we will not let this policy of the Turks come to pass until the last Kurd is left standing. It’s not just Kurds, no patriot in Syria or Rojava will ever accept this. Erdoğan has surpassed Hitler, Mussolini, Saddam, all dictators in his massacres. But the will of peoples won’t surrender to dictatorship, especially not if they are the people of Afrin who have built this free life by tooth and nail. That is why Erdoğan will never know victory in Afrin.”

“This war in Afrin is clearly for the resurgence of ISIS. Only ISIS gangs are benefiting from it. The attacks against Afrin are focused on the gains of the Kurdish people. With 7 years of struggle, the areas mentioned before were liberated, thousands of villages and towns were liberated. It wasn’t only the lands and towns that were liberated, at the same time they achieved a democratic system. YPG, YPJ and SDF’s struggle for humanity has lead the world. In this period of war, for 7 years people fleeing Idlib, Hama and the tyranny of gangs came to Afrin, where Erdoğan’s terrorism still caught up with them. Today these people are facing Turkish state attacks and massacres. Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs and Ezidis, all are under threat today. The Turkish state will do everything they can to destroy the gains of the Kurdish people in Rojava. This is the reason for their attack against Afrin. Because they don’t want Kurds to have a will.”