The Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM) in the autonomous region of North and East Syria has issued a statement on the occupation of Afrin six years ago. The Turkish army invaded the northern Syrian canton in January 2018 after a widespread aerial bombardment by jihadist mercenary gangs and captured the city of Afrin on March 18.

"Six years have passed since the occupation of Afrin. We bow to the 58-day resistance of the people and the historic stance of the heroes and heroines who fell in this battle. The people of Afrin are still resisting today,” said the TEV-DEM statement on Sunday.

TEV-DEM pointed out that crimes against humanity have been committed in the region for six years: "The only thing the Turkish state and its gangs have offered since the first day of occupation has been the looting and destruction of cultural infrastructure and human, social and historical values. In the last six years, Afrin has been exposed to the brutality of a racist and chauvinist mentality. The brutal face of this mentality is revealed in the policy of demographic change, which aims to separate Afrin from Syrian territory. This includes measures such as the arbitrary construction of colonial settlements and the transfer of agricultural land to subsequently settled gang members. At the same time, cultural assimilation continues in the region through the introduction of the Turkish language and currency, while crimes such as theft, looting and kidnapping continue to be committed by gangs as a result of Turkey's dangerous and dirty policies against the Kurdish population. Hundreds of people from Afrin are missing and their fate is unknown. Many citizens are being held hostage in Turkish dungeons and ransom is being demanded for their release. Nature is being plundered, the property and assets of the population have been confiscated and millions of olive trees have been felled. Inhumane crimes continue to be committed against the people in the region. Just recently, a child was brutally murdered in the district of Jindires. This was a threatening message to the remaining people in Afrin to leave the region."

The occupation of Afrin was carried out with the approval of the international community, TEV-DEM emphasized and added: "The failure of the international community's policies and the lack of role of the United Nations and humanitarian and legal organizations have led to the people in the region facing a real catastrophe. While Afrin was once recognized as the best model of democracy and fraternity of peoples, today it is going through a painful process due to the intolerance and hatred of the Turkish occupying state and its gangs. The displaced people from Afrin are fighting tirelessly in the refugee camps in Shehba in the hope of returning to their homes despite the attacks by the occupying forces and the embargo by the government in Damascus. As TEV-DEM, we call on all political and social forces, non-governmental organizations and the relevant parties in Syria, especially the UN, to intervene immediately in the events in Afrin. Afrin has been forgotten and has become the home of terrorist gangs directly supported by the Turkish state."