In Afrin, Turkish occupation, its mercenaries’ mask disappeared-3

Following Daesh footsteps, Turkey is destroying North Syria's civilization

SALAH IBO-BASIL RASHID –AL_SHAHBA

Exclusive videos and photos obtained from inside Afrin have shown tampering of the Turkish occupation's gangs of archaeological sites and digging religious sites and Islamic sites in addition to ongoing excavations in the archaeological sites after separating from the perimeter with iron and concrete walls and the conversion of most of the archaeological sites to the and military points and headquarters to facilitate the illegitimate operations of looting and exploration.

Afrin canton located to the north-west of the Syrian-Turkish border, is an attractive area with a beautiful atmosphere and a range of important archaeological sites in its varied geography between the plains, valleys and mountains. The archaeological sites in Afrin are very important in terms of its beauty. Afrin contributed to the humanity in a skeleton for a two-year-old Neanderthal baby, the first of its kind in Syria and the most complete in the world. It  was discovered in the cave of Du deriyê, in addition to other important archaeological sites such as the Prophet Hori, Tel Ain Dara and Brad village which is on the World Heritage List in UNESCO, and here comes the historical and tourist importance of Afrin.

Despite the availability of natural and aesthetic resistors and archaeological sites that make Afrin canton an important place for domestic and foreign tourism, it has faced deliberate neglect by the ruling Baath authorities in Syria before the Syrian crisis that began in 2011.

After the revolution of July 19, 2012, the Autonomous Administration in Afrin canton worked to protect the archaeological sites from plundering and looting and put in place the laws that protect these sites. A special Directorate of Antiquities was created whose goal is preserving archaeological sites and documenting new discoveries if found, indeed, archaeological and tourist sites were protected and available to the public coming to the canton for summer and tourism, these sites have become an attraction point for local people on occasions.

However, the Turkish occupation did not stop the systematic destruction of the civilization of Afrin at Tel Ain Dara, but deliberately targeted the Roman amphitheater at the site of the Prophet Hori (the city of Korash or Cyrus) located in Shara district, dating back to the third millennium BC, During the third week the Roman stair way has been greatly damaged by the Turkish aggression,

Christian civilization ... is also threatened

The Abliski site in Rajo area was exposed to the Turkish aircraft and artillery bombardment and this site contains mosaic plates dating back to the first millennium BC and the ancient Tel Janders, the site of Brad village in Sherawa village also was exposed to Turkish's shelling on 22 March where the General Directorate of Syrian Antiquities and Museums has condemned in statement, targeting the Turkish occupation's planes of Syrian archaeological and religious sites, describing it as a new barbaric aggression.

The bombing destroyed many important archaeological buildings, including the tomb of St. Maron, the patron saint of the Maronite community, and the Julianos Church, which includes the mausoleum. The church is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world, built at the end of the fourth century CE, includes  Byzantine churches and monasteries, as well as a temple, a bath, a house as well as mills  and cemeteries, all dating back to the Roman period (2nd and 3rd centuries AD). It was discovered in 2002 by the French Archaeological Mission and became destination for millions of Maronite Christians.

40 archaeological sites are threatened in North Syria

For his part, the director of the Syrian-French archaeological mission in northern Syria, Prof. Maamoun Abdel-Karim, told the media outlets that the military and sabotage activities in this area will cause cultural disaster for the eight most important archaeological reserves, all listed on the World Heritage List in 2011. Noting that three of them in Jabal Semaan and five in the province of Idlib and the eight reserves including forty archaeological sites in North Syria and listed on the list of "UNESCO".

Turkey's gangs loot the antiquities with Turkish protection

Turkish occupation having occupied Afrin canton, the armed groups under Turkish protection, began to excavate and uncover the ruins. Most of the archaeological sites in the canton were converted to areas that are forbidden to civilians and the indigenous inhabitants of Afrin. The Antiquities Directorate in Afrin canton is currently existing in al-Shahba canton, Archaeological sites closely document violations by the Turkish occupation authorities.

Archaeological sites became military zones ,camps for looting ,vandalism

The Turkish occupation began to build a metal fence around the fortress of Nabi Horri, which is one of the important archaeological sites in the region, and the expert Salah al-Din Sino believes that the goal is to excavate and dig away from the eyes of the people and turn the area into a military zone for the looting and robbery.

Local sources also confirmed that the armed groups looted the ruins of Brad village and searched the tomb of St. Marmaroun, the patron saint of the Maronite community, and the Julianos Church, in addition to the deliberate destruction of the ruins of the village of Deir Meshmash near Brad village in Sherawa district. In addition to Qatakh village in Mobata district aimed looting of the ruins of the Kharabi Raza site in the village of Tarmisha in Shia district of Afrin after the Turkish mercenaries have prevented the villagers from returning to their homes for two months with the aim of plundering the archaeological site completely. As documented by the Directorate of Antiquities in Afrin canton through a detailed report we got a copy of it, the report confirms that the armed groups removed some of the houses that were impeding the process of removing the antiquities, especially the tombs and mosaics stretching down.

Has UNESCO really informed Turkey to respect international law?

The archaeological expert at Antiquities Directorate in Afrin Salah Sino, during a special meeting, that the theft of the monuments and museums and the excavation and smuggling, is a major financial resource for most of the groups of mercenaries in Syria, such as Jabhit al-Nusra and Daesh, and many other sites along the Syrian geography were subjected to theft and looting, but the case of Afrin is different, Sino notes that what the Turkish occupation of the targeting of archaeological sites, confirms that the subject of the effects and civilization of the region was a topic within the table of sites that should be targeted by the Turkish occupation aircraft, and thus in this way, "we will face a deliberate barbaric attack on civilization and human culture."

One of the signs that confirms Turkey's explicit attempt to destroy the monuments in Afrin is that UNESCO informed the Turkish side prior to its aggression on Afrin of the coordinates of the archaeological sites on the list of human heritage. Sino stresses that through their communication with UNESCO they confirmed this, but the Turkish occupation army did not comply with international laws and standards that guarantee the protection of archaeological sites, which are civilizational and human possession to all humanity.

The tombs of Imams have been exhumed   

In addition to the archaeological sites, the various religious shrines were exposed to desecration and vandalism, including the shrines of Sheikh Hanan and Qara Jurna, as well as a number of religious shrines spreading across Afrin canton's villages.

Lawyer Mohammed Jamil notes that the theft and excavation of the antiquities violates international conventions and standards. "Turkey's aim is to obliterate the Syrian culture and specifically Kurdish ones in Afrin area , in Afrin area which violates the custom and international law ratified on in 1966, which provides for respect for cultural values and social heritage and civilization in armed conflicts "

Several appeals but is it answered?

Saladdin Sino appealed to the concerned international organizations to intervene and make urgent tours to archaeological sites to ensure their safety and do its legal responsibility to protect the human heritage from the barbaric attack targeting Afrin, which is no different in terms of its principle of what was done by Daesh in Palmyra.

(T/S)

ANHA