The Conference for the Liberation of Afrin, organized by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Canton of Afrin, was held in the Canton of Shehba.

At the end of the conference, a final declaration examining the latest developments was drawn up.

The text of the final declaration is as follows:

“The Syrian revolution, which began in 2011 promoting democracy and freedom, quickly changed its course dragging the country into fragmentation.

International interventions moved in trying to divide the Syrian peoples and to create sectarian and ethnic hostility among them, while the crisis in the country deepened.

These interventions played a negative role as to the crisis as they tried to spread the war.

In Rojava-Northern Syria, and in Afrin in particular, the same chaos environment was tried to be established, but the will of the peoples dwarfed these attempts.

The Northern Syrian peoples presented democratic projects to protect their lands and achievements; and as a result, these lands became the place where actually hundreds of thousands of citizens fleeing the war in other cities of Syria took shelter and settled as immigrants.

The Democratic Autonomy Administration, which was established with the participation of all the peoples in Afrin, became the most advanced example of democracy in Syria and for peoples of the world. It has actually turned into an alternative solution based on the brotherhood and co-existence for the peoples living in Syria.

The Turkish state, which kept an eye on this experience of democracy, from time to time attacked it using its mercenary allies and piling up its forces on the border thus threatening the security of the region.

These attacks have ultimately escalated to top level and have been brutally unleashed on Afrin. These attacks were launched on 20 January 2018 and were carried out with international support, and in particular with Russian support.

Despite the brutality of such attacks, the international community remained shamefully silent, while the aggression continued violating all laws.

The stance of all sections of the people of Afrin set a great example for their courage. This rejection of the occupation launched by Erdogan, developed in every field. This resistance has shown to the world the popular resistance against the DAESH terrorists and it has exposed that the AKP government is the main force behind DAESH.

Despite all predictions, the resistance continued for 58 days. Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Turkmens, Armenians of Northern Syria took part in this resistance. Likewise the Kurdistan international forces also took part in the resistance.

The people united and seeking freedom could do much against the second biggest army of NATO, an army equipped with all kinds of weapons and technical means. An army using weapons forbidden by international laws.

This occupation operations left hundreds of civilian martyrs and the infra-structure of the area was burned down. Approximately 200,000 people fled Afrin and settled in the Shehba Canton, thus preventing a great genocide like the one in Shengal.

Though 3 months have passed since the occupation, the Turkish state and its mercenary allies continue their aggression against the people of Afrin.

Furthermore, to the attempt of changing the demographic composition of the region, we have to add the many crimes committed: slaughter, plunder and rape.

To counter all this from 18 to 21 June, some 250 delegates from institutions, associations, civil society associations, political parties have met at the Conference organised by Afrin Autonomous Administration to discuss about organisational issues, resistance and self-defence.

At the conference the deficiencies and shortages that existed and that we lived were widely discussed. Administrations and institutions promised to overcome the existing deficiencies and shortages beginning with a self-criticism attitude.

In the conference we decided to step up the resistance under the slogan “Let’s step up the resistance in the name of our martyrs and to free Afrin”.

On this basis we confirmed our determination to follow the example of our martyrs and to step up the resistance in the region and internationally to achieve the victory of our people's will.

With this spirit we will continue to work until the end of the Turkish occupation and the liberation of Afrin.

We reiterated that the councils and institutions set up by the occupying forces have no legitimacy whatsoever. We have called on our people who stayed in Afrin to react strongly and reject these institutions.

The conference called on all the forces in Kurdistan to put pressure on the Turkish state to end the occupation.

This is a historic and national task. We once again emphasized that the situation of our people forced to abandon their homes is being monitored and that their return should be under the supervision of international institutions.

The conference called on all Syrian peoples to act for the preservation of the territorial integrity of Syria and the end of Turkish occupation.

We called on people going to vote on Sunday 24 June to show their rejection of Turkish occupying operations launched by the AKP.”