Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM) Co-chair Asya Abdullah released a statement titled “Urgent Call to the Public”, translated by ANF English service below;

“Ceaseless bombardments of the Turkish state are on day 9. During this period of time, the Turkish state has used all kinds of weapons against Afrin’s people, olive trees, mountains, streams, dams and rivers. By using warplanes, tanks, artilleries, helicopters and missiles, it spills out all its grudge against the people of Afrin. These attacks target people, trees, stones and all living beings. In this way, the Turkish state wages a war aiming for the eradication of everything in Afrin. They are savagely attacking the people who want to defend their homes, honor, olives, lands and skies. They target the history, culture and existence of the people who uphold their honor and dignity.

The Turkish government is savagely mobilizing all its military vehicles against our people and our forces YPG, YPJ and SDF that are the symbol of resistance waged against terror during the past years and maintain the security of their region.

The Turkish state expresses clearly that it wants to destroy these forces that have been fighting against terror for all Syrian people and humanity and are still fighting against ISIS in Deir ez-Zor today.

These attacks of the Turkish state are more dangerous than those of ISIS because it carries out these attacks in front of the whole world as a member of the United Nations and NATO.

Before everyone’s eyes health centers have been demolished, ambulances have been targeted, Meydanke Dam has taken its share from the aggression. Dozens of people were martyred or wounded and majority of these are civilians. Most of the victims are children, women and elderly who migrated from other places of Syria and took shelter in safe Afrin territory where more than half a million Syrian people settled.

Were the international community not silent, these massacres would not take place and the Turkish state would not dare to carry out hostile attacks that trample on human values and international conventions.

We will resist and keep our struggle going with the spirit of Avesta Xabur and all our martyrs. We are proud in Afrin. We issue a call to all international community from Afrin, fortress of peace and tranquility. Our call addresses mainly to all the Kurdistan people and democratic forces in order for them to make Afrin’s voice heard by the world. We call on them to make sure that the savage attacks against Afrin are heard.

We also call on the UN Security Council, European Union and anti-terror international coalition to fulfill their responsibilities regarding the situation in Afrin. They should act immediately to not be a party to the acts against our forces who are fighting and defeating ISIS, and to protect the people and lands of Afrin. Our forces are expected to continue their fight against terror in Syria and ensure security in the region and the world.”