Turkish occupation state keeps destroying historical legacy of occupied Afrin

 On January 20, 2018, the Turkish occupation state launched the most violent aggression in decades against the occupied canton of Afrin, which was home to more than 500,000 people from various Syrian regions who fled the scourge of war throughout the years of the Syrian crisis.

 Since the first day of its aggression against the canton, the Turkish occupation has targeted the cultural heritage to eliminate the identity of Afrin. The archaeological temple of Ain Dara was bombed on January 21 of the same year, and it was almost completely destroyed, according to the Directorate of Antiquities in Afrin canton.

 The canton of Afrin, before the Turkish aggression and its mercenaries, was distinguished by dozens of archaeological sites that symbolize the ancient history of the Near East, according to historical studies.

 The Turkish occupation deliberately bombed a large number of archaeological sites in Afrin canton during its aggression, the most prominent of which were the Ain Dara temple, the Nabi Hori site and the archaeological Tel Janders, while causing severe damage to the other archaeological site.

 Despite condemning the crimes of the Turkish occupation state against the canton of Afrin and its people, it has continued at an accelerated pace to destroy the cultural heritage of the peoples of the region, after its occupation of the canton on March 18, 2018 until this moment.

 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had expressed its deep concern about the repercussions of the situation in northern Syria on civilians and on the cultural heritage in the region, but it did nothing but express concern.

 After the occupation of Afrin canton, the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries continue to destroy and steal artifacts and transfer them to Turkey and European countries, most notably the site of Nabi Hori.

 The joint head of the Directorate of Antiquities in Afrin region, Salah Sino, told our agency: "The Syrian government and the international community have not taken any serious measures regarding Turkey's destruction of archaeological sites, especially the Ain Dara temple, and stressed that" the reports issued by the international community and the Damascus government did not contribute to  protection of other archaeological sites.

 Sino added, "The crimes of the Turkish occupation were invested in the media, without forming any pressure on Turkey to stop its brutal attacks on the archaeological sites in Afrin canton, and the best proof of this is that Turkey, after occupying Afrin canton, continued to destroy and steal all archaeological sites and hills using heavy machinery and bulldozers."

 Sino indicated that the Turkish occupation state and its mercenaries, after destroying the archaeological sites, turned them into military headquarters, especially after the bulldozing of Tel Ain Dara, the oldest mercenaries of the "Syrian Liberation Front" to establish a base for them on the hill.

 According to the documents of the Directorate of Antiquities in Afrin region, the Turkish occupation destroyed 60 percent of the Ain Dara temple using missiles and warplanes.

 Seno indicated that all the archaeological sites were destroyed after occupying the province by 100 percent.

 At the conclusion of his speech, the joint head of the Directorate of Antiquities in Afrin region, Salah Sino, explained, "The message of the Turkish occupation state was clear from the first day of its aggression against Afrin, which is to destroy the historical heritage and eliminate the identity of the original inhabitants of the region, and replace it with a false history."

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 ANHA