Afrin Armenians: Turkey is source of killing, destruction

Armenians pointed out that the Turkish mindset carries only the ideas of genocide and denial against the rights of the peoples and said, "Turkey is the source of murder and destruction", stressing their steadfastness in al-Shahba until returning to Afrin.

6 January, 2019 03:25

JAFER JAFO-GHANDI ALO/AL-SHAHAB

Between 1915 and 1917, the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against the Armenian people, killing more than 1.5 million of them and displacing more than 600,000 of them, most of whom displaced to the Syrian territories to be protected from murder and abuse.

Turkey is trying hard to restore the history of its Ottoman ancestors and expand its influence at the expense of eradicating the other peoples, threatening from time to time to attack and occupy the areas of Syria as it occupied Afrin and brought corruption to it.

The Armenians of Afrin, who witnessed the Turkish aggression and massacres against the civilians, denounced the massacres committed against the Armenians, their parents and grandparents who had entered Afrin a century before fleeing it.

Mohammed Gharib said, "The history has repeated itself in Afrin. The Turkish army is still on the same mindset of murder, destruction and displacement of civilians."

Gharib said that their grandparents had been subjected to the worst practices, and the families separated so they did not know about the fate of other members of their family whether they went elsewhere or were killed in their villages.

For his part, Mohammed Ibrahim spoke of the coexistence with the people of Afrin of the other components and said, "Our ancestors were killed and displaced. They came to Afrin and lived with its people until the Turkish occupation came again and attacked us. Turkey wants to destroy us and eliminate our co-existence and brotherhood."

Badia Horo, the Arminian woman said, "We resisted the occupation and its mercenaries with their warplanes and tanks without fear. I lost a martyr from my family for the sake of protecting Afrin from the Turkish terror, but the massacres and the fear of their recurrence made us to leave our homes and go to al-Shahba."

Shamsi Gharib said, "Wherever they are existed, they kill and destroy. What have we done to them? We will stay and resist in al-Shahba until we return to Afrin and get rid of Turkey."

A.H

ANHA