​​​​​​​Rashid calls on Syrian people to adopt liberation of Afrin cause

The occupied canton of Afrin has been subjected to a systematic demographic change since its occupation in 2018, by the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries, bringing settlers from various Syrian regions to live there.

 The displaced people of Afrin who live in semi-destroyed homes and camps, are only 20 km away from their canton, and exposed to the missiles and shells of the Turkish occupation on a daily basis, not to mention the constant threats aimed at expelling them;  In preparation for the demographic change in occupied Afrin and its annexation to Turkey as Iskenderun.

 A member of the Syrian Democratic Council of the Afrin and Al-Shahba Centers, Jamal Rashid, spoke to our agency about the policy followed by the Turkish occupation state in consolidating the concept of the Milli Mithaq, and the complicity of international forces and human rights stakeholders with their policies against the human cultural heritage of the people of the region.

 Jamal Rashid said, "Erdogan's deals to occupy areas in northern Syria, such as al-Bab, Jarablus, Afrin, Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî, in exchange for other areas where his mercenaries are located, were the first steps to implement the project of the occupied Turkish state, the Milli Mithaq, and the completion of its Ottoman project."

 The Milli Mithaq is a colonial map adopted by the Turkish state and extends from Aleppo in northern Syria to Kirkuk in southern Kurdistan.

 Afrin is a launches pad to install the Milli Mithaq

Rashid said about the policy practiced by Turkey to implement the Milli Mithaq "The policy that was practiced in Afrin canton during the aggression and after its occupation, was one of the harshest and dirtiest policies throughout history, and it continues to this day. A policy that was based on the fact that Afrin is the first station for implementing the Milli Mithaq that includes change the demographics of that region.

 Rashid added, "The aggression that targeted Afrin was not only for its occupation and displacement of its residents, and it was not only to sabotage its nature, but its main goal was to change its cultural heritage, which shows to the world that the looting and theft of Afrin's antiquities by mercenaries was within a narrow framework, meaning that the mercenaries offer this for the sake of personal benefit. This policy is on the orders of Turkey; its goal is to destroy its cultural heritage and replace it with an Ottoman one, to say in the future that Afrin is a region belonging to Turkey."

 Jamal Rashid added, "The Turkish occupation, through differences and conflicts between the great powers, seeks to restore the dreams of the Ottomans, by interfering in Syrian affairs and launching aggression on a continuous basis against northern and eastern Syria under false pretexts."

 Building settlements obliterates Kurdish identity in Afrin

About the policy followed in the occupied canton of Afrin by supporting organizations to build settlements there, Rashid said, "The Turkish occupation continues with some of the organizations that we used to see as revolutionary organizations, the Palestinian organizations, which work side by side with Kuwaiti and Qatari organizations, in building settlements in all villages and districts of the canton.  Afrin, after the displacement of its original inhabitants, and the destruction and theft of its archaeological sites, the occupying state, with the help of these organizations, changes its demographics.

  He added, "The Turkish occupation is also working on the refugee card in an intensive way, as it works to settle Palestinians in Afrin, whom the world considers refugees. If the Syrian crisis is resolved, everyone will return to his city, so what will happen to these Palestinians."

 The resistance of the people of Afrin is the biggest obstacle to the plans of the occupation

 Concerning the Turkish occupation’s threats to launch a new aggression against North and East Shuria, Rashid said, “With the people of Afrin forcibly displaced to al-Shahba canton, the occupation seeks, through many meetings and maneuvers, to displace them from al-Shahba canton as well, because he knows that their resistance is the biggest obstacle to its plans.”  .

 The Syrians should consider the Afrin issue their own

 At the conclusion of his two events, a member of the Syrian Democratic Council of the Afrin and Al-Shahba Centers, Jamal Rashid called on all components of the Syrian people to consider the issue of Afrin as their cause, and not only the issue of the Kurdish people.  Because what the Turkish occupation is doing is preparing to carve out large parts of Syria and annex them to Turkey."

 A

 ANHA