Shehba Canton Council released a statement marking the second-year anniversary of the genocidal attacks of the Turkish state and allied mercenaries against Afrin.

The press statement was read by the council member Nuri Wilo in the Ehrez district of Shehba.

“300,000 CIVILIANS FORCIBLY DISPLACED”

The statement includes the following;

“The Turkish state attacked Afrin on 20 January two years ago under the leadership of terrorist Erdoğan and together with thousands of terrorist mercenaries. On the first day of the attacks, 72 fighter jets were operated, bombarding civilian settlements, hospitals, shelters, sacred places and massacring women and children. The Turkish state carried out these attacks in front of the eyes of the international community and human rights organisations.

Responding to the brutal attacks, YPG, YPJ and revolutionary forces mounted historic resistance for 58 days. Despite their state-of-the-art weapons, they suffered a heavy blow at the hands of Afrin’s forces. The Turkish state caused the forced displacement of over 300,000 civilians.  

MASSACRE, ABDUCTION, TORTURE, LOOTING

During the past two years since the occupation of Afrin, the whole world has seen the Turkish state forces and mercenaries committing torture, abduction, massacre, looting of historical places, graveyards, burning down forests and accommodating mercenary families to change the demograpy. These crimes against our people are continuing in Shehba as well.

CALL ON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

We as the Shehba Canton Council stand by our people from Afrin. We condemn the silence of the international community, the United Nations and human rights organisations in the face of the attacks. We call upon the international community to put pressure on the Turkish state in order for them to leave our lands.

We call on the Syrian government to enter into dialogue with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and take historic steps in order for northern Syria to be liberated from the Turkish state and their mercenaries.”