Afrin IDPs warned of return without guarantees

Spokesperson for the Human Rights Organization-Afrin-Syria, and Co-chair of the Legislative Council in Afrin both warned Afrin IDPs of returning home without any guarantees and not to be pushed into misguiding campaigns adopted by figures in Kurdish National Council and Turkish intelligence services.

12 August, 2021 04:07

SHAHBA FIRAS IBRAHIM

Lately, a few number of Afrin IDPs returned home after receiving fake promises made by mercenary groups of non-exposure in return for sums of money reaching in some cases to thousands of USD but those returnees were abducted.

Figures in the Kurdish National Council most notable Abdul Hakim Bashar encouraged IDPs to return home refusing crimes being committed in Afrin since Afrin fell to occupation by Turkish forces and mercenary groups on 18 March 2018.

War circles in Turkey as well are playing a prominent role in promoting such campaigns alleging that life in Afrin goes normally.

In this relation, Spokesperson for the Human Rights Organization-Afrin-Syria, Ibrahim Sheikho told ANHA ''more than 300 thousand citizens were displaced forcibly into the Shahba Canton as 400 thousands from different Syrian territories were settled in their places of which Turkomen and Palestinians''. Sheikh noted that prior to occupation Kurds were making up 95 of Afrin population but now they do not exceed 23 per cent.

On the number of abductees Sheikho said: at least 7740 citizens were abducted by the Turkish occupation intelligence services and the terrorist mercenary groups, of whom 1000 women held at detentions centers in Azaa, Ra'I, Mar'I, Bab and Afrin and even in Turkish territories. Mercenary groups and Turkish occupation took possessions of thousands of houses in Afrin and districts for commerce, just in 2020 250 houses belonged by IDPs living in Shahba were taken possession of''.

Sheikh added that nearly 70 rape cases were registered in Afrin all committed by Turkish occupation troops and mercenaries in addition to five suicide cases as they reject these breaches. In relation to archaeological sites Sheikho said 75 hills were destroyed of which 18 sites registered in UNCESCO's World Heritage List indicating that all these crimes are documented by a Fact-Finding Committee, Amnesty International as well as international human rights all fell under war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Sheikh went on to say that some Kurds working under the banner of the Turkish occupation forces neglect crimes committed by Turkey in Afrin as dubbed isolated actions. '' members of ENKES that call, themselves Afrin Free Gathering and Independent Kurds Society in addition to Fu'ad Eliko and Ebdul Hakim Bashar all deny crimes committed by Turkey in Afrin'', Sheikho said, ''if so why not they are now in Afrin'', he wondered.

At the end, Sheikho stressed that they are not against home return as all their resistance discharge into this but not under Turkish occupation control '' if there is a return let it be a collective one and under international guarantees with no Turkish occupation. A special war is adopted by ENKSE members that are living in Germany, Southern Kurdistan and Turkey calling on Afrin IDPs in Shaba to return home but as soon as they arrive they are capture by intelligence confirming that 35 Kurdish families are detained inside Kimar School in Sherawa and others paid heavily just to return home as their whereabouts is unknown.

In turn, Co-chair of the Legislative Council in Afrin Sulaiman Cefer both warned Afrin IDPs of returning '' some Kurdish National Council members exploit IDPs and calling them to return to Afrin under Turkish occupation forces.

Cefer said '' we were calling for return to Afrin but how? Indicating that for 58 days Turkish occupation forces used to target them vi every highly advanced and internationally outlawed weapons and eventually we were displaced forcibly how could occupation receive us' Cefer wondered.

Cefer called on Afrin IDPs living in the Shahba Canton not to be pushed into mirages made by enemy that call IDPs to return home under Turkish occupation.

Cefer said at the end, if there is a return let it be a collective one with no presence by Turkish occupation forces or any mercenary groups''.

L.A

ANHA