Representatives from political parties and NGOs and leaders of clans in Northern Syria came together in the Northern Syria Platform organized with the slogan, “Afrin Resistance will defeat Neo-Ottoman invasionism in Syria”. In the platform held in Heseke, Northern Syrian Democratic Federation Executive Council Co-chair Foza Yusif read the Afrin report by the preparation committee.

Foza Yusif stated that the Turkish state has launched an attack against Afrin together with terrorist groups on January 20, 2018 and the aim of these attacks was to fracture Syria and void the democratic project that will be the solution to the Syrian crisis.

“501 CIVILIANS MARTYRED, 797 CIVILIANS WOUNDED”

Foza Yusif pointed out that there have been several massacres in districts like Jilbere, Mabeta and Jindires due to the barbaric attacks and the international silence, that 501 civilians were martyred and 797 civilians (most of them women and children) were wounded, and that the infrastructur and service buildings in Afrin were particularly targeted.

Yusif said YPG/YPJ fighters waged a continuous resistance for 58 days with support from the people of Afrin, that the international silence for what the Turkish state and terrorist groups do in Afrin, that the Afrin Autonomous Administration has removed civilians from the city to avoid further civilian bloodshed and that the Resistance of the Age has entered a new phase.

“PEOPLE OF AFRIN IN SHEHBA LIVE UNDER HARSH CONDITIONS”

Foza Yusif said some 200.000 people from Afrin migrated to the Shehba canton due to the barbaric attacks. Yusif said there are shortcomings in the services in the Shehba region and added: “The people of Afrin in the Shehba region live under harsh conditions, and they are in need of water and food, and milk for the children.”

Yusif said the Afrin and Shehba autonomous administrations set up two camps with support from the peoples of Northern Syria and that some 100.000 civilians have been settled in the camps, with some of their needs being met.

“THEY WANT TO RETURN TO MISAK-I MILLI BORDERS”

Foza Yusif stressed that physical and cultural genocide is a crime against humanity, and said: “What happened in Afrin wasn’t just against the Kurdish people, they aim to continue with their invasion project and return to Misak-i Milli (the “National Pact”) borders. As Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Assyrians, Turkmens and all other peoples in this region, we are faced with a common enemy, that of Neo-Ottoman invasionism. These invaders want to turn Syria into a warzone and change the country in accordance with their interests.”

“THE COUNCIL THEY FOUNDED IS AN INVASION COUNCIL”

Northern Syrian Democratic Federation Executive Council Co-chair Foza Yusif stated that the Turkish state founded a council to legitimize their invasionism: “We state that this is an invasion council and a council that is selling the blood of the people of Afrin.”

CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Foza Yusif called on international institutions and organizations to fulfill their duties towards Afrin, recognize the camps the people live in as camps under the United Nations and ensure the return home for the people of Afrin.

By the end of the statement, Foza Yusif pointed out that the Resistance of the Age that shook the world still continues and that they as the Kurdish, Arab, Syriac, Turkmen and Armenian peoples will take back the areas the new Ottoman state has invaded.