SDC ends its seminar in Al-Shahba, reading closing statement

The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) in northeast Syria and Aleppo held on Wednesday, a dialogue seminar, on the Turkish occupation policy in Syria and the Middle East, and its violations in Afrin, in Fafin district, al-Shahba canton, in the presence of elders of Afrin and Al-Shahba, members of the Human Rights Organization Afrin - Syria, religious scholars, and members of institutions and unions in al-Shahba canton.

The seminars began with the participation the Co-chair of the Executive Body of the Syrian Democratic Council, Ilham Ahmed, the Co-chair of the Executive Body of Afrin region, Bakr Allou, and a member of the Tribal Council of Afrin region, Ibrahim Al-Issa.

Then Ahmed spoke about the history of the Turkish state and ambitions to revive the Ottoman dream to the region by pushing its mercenaries into all the crises of the Middle East and about its objectives in the occupation of Afrin, Girê Spî and Serêkaniyê, and then the discussion was opened for proposals to stand in the face of this policy and expelling the Turkish occupier from the Syrian lands.

After that, lawyer and member of the Human Rights Organization Afrin – Syria, Gabriel Mustafa opened the second axis, which was titled “Violations of the Turkish State and its Mercenaries Towards the Peoples of Afrin Region, Ways to Confront them and Deal with their Negative Repercussions” by reading a file on the crimes of the Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries over a period of three years in Afrin.

Then, three people from Afrin, "Haji Mustafa, Mustafa Dalo and Najib Sheikho," spoke about the crimes of the Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries against their families in Afrin.

After discussions, Ahmed, read the closing statement of the Aleppo and al-Shahba seminars, about the occupation of Afrin, as it came in the text of the statement:

“We are in SDC, while we express our deep gratitude and appreciation for all the contributions, interventions and valuable questions by the attendees. We raise to the scientific public opinion our recommendations, which are among the most important points agreed upon by the two attendees, which aim to end the occupation and the safe return of the forcibly displaced to their areas with international guarantees, holding the perpetrators accountable, bringing them to justice, and compensating those affected, all within the framework of international humanitarian law and United Nations charters, in implementation of the provisions of UN Resolution 2254, and supporting all measures that ensure the voluntary and safe return of Afrin people with international guarantees and restoring their property through all legimate means.

Given the violations that Afrin is subjected to, these crimes are serious and contradict all international charters and covenants in light of international silence, so the public and world opinion must be informed of the situation in Afrin and exposing the agendas, practices and violations of the Turkish state and its mercenaries.

Establishing a shared strategy by the Coalition and the international community to fight the policies and crimes of the occupying power and its mercenaries, represented by the demographic change and ethnic cleansing in all security, intellectual, cultural, economic, social and legal aspects.

In order to achieve security, stability and political transition in Syria, there is a need for a new democratic political system to dry up the sources that revive terrorism and extremist organizations. The Autonomous Administration project, as a lived experience for years, is a model for a solution and a successful peace project.

In implementation of the Security Council resolutions related to combating terrorism and extremism and achieving justice, we call for the establishment of an international court in the regions of northeast Syria to prosecute the Turkish occupation state and its mercenaries.

Given that the Kurdish people in Afrin have been subjected to a cultural and mass physical genocide, which is a crime of aggression against humanity at the hands of the Turkish occupation state and its mercenaries, we, therefore, call for recognition of this genocide by the United Nations and to ensure the rights of the Kurdish people of various sects and beliefs in Afrin.

And work to immediately stop all practices and attacks of the Turkish occupation state and its mercenaries against the environment and agricultural wealth, such as cutting off large areas of olive trees and stealing them.

And the forming a follow-up committee under the auspices and supervision of the Syrian Democratic Council, and in partnership with organizations and institutions of an international character, that monitors and documents all violations that Afrin is exposed to, including kidnapping, killing, destruction of infrastructure, theft, looting and appropriation of property from land and real estate, imposing royalties and practicing Turkification policies such as changing the names of villages and places and teaching in the Turkish language.

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ANHA