TEV-DEM's Yusif: Afrin is an issue for the entire Syria

TEV-DEM Executive Board Member Yusif: The Kurdish people have created a spiritual union in terms of national unity. Not only PYD members came out of Afrin. ENKS members cannot stay there either. There is no possibility to live there if you are Kurdish.

TEV-DEM Executive Board Member Foza Yusif was the guest of the Autonomous Agenda program broadcast on Medya Haber. Answering journalist Derviş Eren's questions, Yusif evaluated the resistance in Afrin, efforts to build national unity and the Libyan crisis.

There is an unethical attitude towards Afrin

Speaking about the second year of the Afrin invasion, Yusif said: "The international powers have played 'three monkeys' when it came to the occupation of Afrin. There is a very unethical attitude towards the resistance in Afrin. The problem of Afrin is also the problem of Syria."

Yusif underlined that the genocide practices have been carried out for two years without interruption.

Yusif continued: "The people of Afrin have been very loyal to their land. Those people have been resisting for their land from Shehba for two years. They look at all they have left behind when they were forced to flee their homes. The people of Afrin is determined to return."

Yusif recalled the words of a woman from Deir Ez-zor at a meeting she attended. The woman said, "Serêkaniyê was hit but we were injured."

Yusif added: "This statement shows the commitment and sharing among the peoples. A cultural, social and political unity has been achieved under the roof of the Autonomous Administration. This is a way of life which has been made their own by Arabs, Kurds and Assyrians. This is a model that will shape the Middle East."

Evaluating the level of the efforts towards the establishment of national unity, Yusif said: "The Kurdish people have created a spiritual unity in terms of national unity. Not only PYD members came out of Afrin. ENKS members cannot stay there either. There is no possibility to live there if you are Kurdish. There is no difference between Kurds in the eyes of the enemy. All Kurds are the same and therefore all are targeted. The people understood this. The invasion attacks raised awareness and national awareness among the people."

Shengal attacks are continuing what ISIS started

Yusif had this to say about the Turkish state air strikes against Shengal: "Zerdeşt Şengali was a Kurdish person who escaped ISIS's sword. That's why they call him 'terrorist' in the headlines. However, Zerdeşt was born there, grew up there and coincidentally escaped the ISIS massacre. ISIS members could not kill Zerdeşt. But the Turkish state completed the genocide started by ISIS."

Turkey and the crisis in Libya

Talking about Libya, Yusif said: "Libya should not accept Turkey as a guarantor. Turkey wants to convert Libya into a new Syria."

Yusif continued: "What was the role of Turkey in Syria? Should Turkey bring peace to Libya? Turkey is a warmonger. What kind of peace guarantor can it be?"

Stating that Libyans should learn lessons from what happened in Syria, Yusif added: "The situation in Syria should not be repeated in Libya. Libya should keep Turkey away from its shores, of it would become a second Syria."