Thomas Stendker called to internationalizing Afrin case to force Turkish occupation to withdraw

QAMISHLO

The work of the International Forum on Ethnic Cleansing and Demographic Change continues in Afrin. After the speech of David Phillips, Aldar Khalil and Dr. Farah Saber, the Professor at the University of Vienna Department of Political Science and Geology Thomas Stendker delivered a speech explaining the cultural diversity of Afrin and its components.

Thomas said during his speech: " the Sunni Kurds, the Yazidi people and Christians who fled the massacres committed by the Turkish occupation army were living in Afrin."

Thomas noted that all the living components of Afrin were living without discrimination, "Afrin was characterized by cultural diversity and co-existence."

Thomas spoke about the Yazidi people who fled as a result of the Turkish occupation and said, "The Yazidi people has a long history, but it faced many massacres committed by the Turkish state and the last they encountered was in Afrin."

He added, "The Alawites also lived in Afrin but could not escape because their areas were in the center of Afrin. The roads were closed. Now the Turkish occupation is besieging them. They are like the Yazidi people facing genocide, displacement, demographic change and the destruction and violation of their sanctities dating back hundreds of years."

As for the Christian people, Thomas said, "Christians have a long history in Afrin and there are many churches that have been built for thousands of years but are being plundered and looted by Turkey and its groups."

At the end of his speech, Professor at the University of Vienna of Political Science Department Thomas Stendker called to document the violations committed by the Turkish occupation army by independent journalists, and stressed that the issue of Afrin is an important issue and must be internationalized and discussed on a permanent basis and to force the Turkish army to withdraw from Afrin, and to allow the people of Afrin to return to their homes and stop the processes of demographic change that is taking place now.

A.H

ANHA