First Annual Forum for Victims in NES: crimes of Turkish occupation are part of its internal policy

 This came during the first annual forum for victims in northern Syria, coinciding with the third anniversary of the attack of the Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries on the Serêkaniyê / Ras al-Ain area, and the Girê Spî / Tal Abyad canton. 

 After a TV show about "undermining coexistence and peace in Serê Kaniyê and Girê Spî", the first axis entitled "The situation of human rights in Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî" was presented by the jurist and relations officer in the Sere Kaniye Immigrants Committee, Joan Esau, and the human rights advocate from the city of Afrin  and researcher at  PÊL Organization within the project (Property Rights Violations in the Regions of Serêkaniyê, Girê Spî and Afrin), Sawsan Rashid, and the co-chair of the Office of Refugees and Displaced Persons in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, Sheikhmus Ahmed, and writer and lawyer, Shorsh Darwish.

 Crimes and violations in the occupied territories are an essential part of the Turkish occupation policy

 At the beginning of the first axis, the jurist and relations officer in the Serekaniye Displacement Committee, Joan Esau, explained that the reality in the occupied territories in all its aspects, including human rights, is very bad . He considered the area occupied by the Turkish occupation state in Syria, which is estimated at approximately 10,000 km2, according to his estimation, has turned into an arena for violations, massacres and forced displacement.

Esau indicated that "the violations that are practiced in those areas are not far from the policy of the Turkish occupation state, which violates the values ​​and principles of human rights. Its policies are a policy of war. Therefore, the human rights situation in the occupied areas is part of its policy."

 He continued, "According to official reports, the Turkish occupation state from 2019, opened the borders to terrorist groups, and to receive the displaced for political gains."

 Grave violations in the occupied areas of Turkey

 Issa explained that with the occupation of Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî, the case of kidnappings increased in the Turkish border cities, reaching 400,000 cases so far, 80% of whom are displaced Syrians.  In the protection of indigenous peoples and their non-compliance with international humanitarian law in the occupied territories, there are hundreds of cases of arrest, violence and dozens of rape cases.

 He added, "The Turkish occupation state and its mercenaries commit grave crimes in changing the features of the occupied areas, especially in the Kurdish villages that were distinguished historically, and turned them into military headquarters."

 He also touched on the situation of the displaced outside the areas occupied by Turkey, especially in the camps, who were not spared the evil of the Turkish state, where "violations were practiced on them by cutting off water, in addition to cutting off the Turkish occupation of water from the residents of the city of Hasaka, and its direct targeting of children and civilians by launching attacks it continues in northern and eastern Syria.

 The reality of the camps

 In turn, a human rights defender from the city of Afrin and a researcher in the PÊL organization within the project (Violations of Property Rights in the Regions of Serêkaniyê, Girê Spî and Afrin), Sawsan Rashid, drew attention to the laws that stipulate the need to protect the forcibly displaced, saying: "International law stipulates that displaced civilians must be allowed to  forcibly during the conflict, to return to their homes as soon as possible, unconditionally.”

 Regarding the reality of the camps, Sawsan stated, "The camps are not recognized. The Syrian regime prevents the entry of UN organizations into some camps on the pretext that they are illegal, in light of the camps' lack of life and humanity, and their difficulties are exacerbated by the increasing temperature in summer and cold winter."

She stressed that despite the difficult conditions surrounding the displaced, "the option to return remains more difficult in light of the security chaos in occupied territories are witnessing."

 For his part, the co-chair of the Office of Refugees and Displaced Persons in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, Sheikhmus Ahmed, referred to the reality of northern and eastern Syria before the occupation of some of its areas by the Turkish occupation state, saying: " thanks to the People's Protection Units and Women, and later, the Syrian Democratic Forces, we defeated terrorism with all its names.”

 He added, "These military and defense tasks were carried out in conjunction with building a democratic civil system represented by autonomous administrations in the liberated areas. With them, our areas turned into a safe haven for displaced people from other Syrian regions, whether from areas controlled by the Damascus government forces or the armed factions loyal to Turkey and the areas under  the yoke of dark forces and terrorism."

 He stressed that the goal of the Turkish occupation state in NES is "demographic change to achieve its expansionist goals in the region, as is happening in Syria, Iraq, Libya and the province of Karabakh."

 Camps Statistics in North and East Syria

 According to the statistics revealed by Ahmed about the concentrations of the displaced, they are as follows: "In the Jazera region, which is distributed in the Washokani camp, the number of families is 2355, including 8,821 children.

 As for the Serêkaniyê camp, it is inhabited by 2,516 families, including 7,636 children.

As for Nowruz camp, it contains 1,123 families, including 3,613 children.

 He added, "In the Tal Abyad camp, which is located in Raqqa, it contains 1,259 families, and in Sardam camp, which is located in Al-Shahba canton, it contains 775 families. As for the Resistance camp, it houses 696 families, and Al-Shahba camp, in which 109 families live, and Afrin camp, which includes 106 families.  Al-Auda 100 families.

 At the conclusion of his speech, Sheikhmus Ahmed stressed "to ensure the safe return of the indigenous population, condemn the occupier and its collaborators before local and international courts, reopen the Tel Kojer/Al Yarubiyah crossing, and introduce humanitarian aid to the area and the camps.  A ceasefire to neutralize the Allouk water station from Turkish extortion, which puts the lives of hundreds of thousands, including the camps, at risk, and it is a serious pause by the international community to stop Turkish attacks on our areas and demand an end to the occupation.

 Turkish policy

 For his part, writer and lawyer, Shorsh Darwish, referred to the Turkification policies pursued in the occupied territories, saying: "The Turkification that is practiced in the region is not a product of the moment. It started from the Iskenderun District until the present day."

 He continued, "Turkey's occupation of the city of Jarabulus opened the door to the Turkification, by changing the names of cities and villages, transforming mosques and schools into centers where the Ottoman curriculum is studied, relying on the Turkish currency, opening Turkish schools and academies, and destroying the infrastructure of the occupied areas."

 Concluding his speech, he stressed the need to "intensify legal efforts to expose the violations of the Turkish state, and focus on the service situation in the camps so that they do not turn into cities, but remain places containing refugees until they return to their original cities."

 In the second axis entitled "Available Justice Mechanisms, Locally and Internationally", which was delivered by Abdel Samie Abdullah, and the former judge and legal advisor, Riad Ali.

Victims are the primary advocates for their causes

 At the beginning of the axis, the international coach in the field of advocacy, Abdel Samie Abdullah, pointed out the need for victims to continue their resistance to obtain their rights within all international laws, and said: “Victims are the main advocates for their causes.”

 Stressing the need for victims to have a leading role in accessing their rights, he added: "Certainly this needs to exercise resistance for the victims to be able to defend themselves in an organized manner."

 A country that interferes in another country is an occupying country

 As for the former judge and legal advisor, Riad Ali, who joined the forum via the Zoom, he said: “Paragraph 69 of the 2019 report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria refers to the Turkish authorities’ monitoring of legal, executive and administrative structures, coordinating their affairs and financing local councils and others. This means their recognition of Turkey’s occupation  indirectly to Syrian territory.

 The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria on the date of 2022 considered what Turkey and its mercenaries are doing in Syria as war crimes.

 In conclusion, the discussion was opened to all attendees, who, in turn, stressed the need to support the Autonomous Administration to provide support and assistance to the displaced, and the need to end the Turkish occupation of Syrian lands and ensure the safe return of the displaced to their homes.

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ANHA