Ibrahim Sheikho: Those who remain in Afrin are forced to sell their properties

A member of the Human Rights Organization, Afrin-Syria, confirmed that settler brokers are forcing the remaining residents of occupied Afrin to sell their lands. As a prelude to building settlements on it with the aim of changing the demography of the region, which numbered more than 25 settlements, concentrated on the slopes of the Lilon Mountains and in the Janders Plain on the lands of the displaced.

25 June, 2023 20:45

NEWS DESK

A member of the Human Rights Organization Afrin - Syria, Ibrahim Sheikho, spoke to ANHA’s agency about the plans of the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries in occupied Afrin.

Sheikho began his speech by saying: "The Turkish occupation and its mercenaries began with the occupation of Afrin canton in 2018, with operations of demographic change, by following several policies, including terrorizing the people through killing, kidnapping, seizing property, imposing the Islamic religion on people of other religions in the canton, and building settlements there."

He added, "Perhaps the biggest demographic change in the region was the displacement of the people of Afrin canton and replacing them with Turkmen, Arabs and others, so that the Jiay Qaramanj region turned into an area where black uniforms were imposed, in which people who are not from the region roam, they are nothing but mercenary families who came from Ghouta, Deir ez-Zor and other regions".

"genocide"

Regarding the crimes committed by the occupation and its mercenaries in Afrin, Sheikho explained: "During the past five years, the Turkish occupation caused the martyrdom of more than 700 people, including children, the elderly and 96 women, and the violations it committed against women reached 90 cases, and thousands of residents were kidnapped." In addition to cutting down and burning hundreds of thousands of forest trees and olive trees, to build settlements on the one hand, and to burn and sell them on the other hand.

Turkification of the region

Ibrahim Sheikho pointed out, "The Turkish occupation imposes the Turkish language in schools. It also opened institutes and universities to teach the Turkish language, in addition to replacing the Syrian pound with the Turkish lira, and raising the Turkish flag and pictures of Erdogan."

Sheikho said that the Turkish occupation "seeks to link Afrin canton with the occupied İskenderun district geographically," based on "the entry of the governor of : İskenderun into Afrin canton at eight in the morning and his exit from it at four in the afternoon, on a daily basis."

He added, "According to some sources, a number of settler brokers are working to buy lands and property of the people of Afrin with large sums, through dozens of cases in Kafr Safra and Diwa villages in Janders district."

Ibrahim Sheikho confirmed in his speech, "These actions happen frequently and force the people to sell their properties, in order to build settlements on them later, with the aim of changing the demography of the region and giving it the Turkish-Ottoman character."

And he noted: "The processes of demographic change in the canton are taking place through the construction of settlements with the support of Qatari-Kuwaiti Brotherhood organizations since 2020, when more than 25 settlements were built, most of which were concentrated on the slopes of the Lilon Mountains and in the Janders Plain on the lands of the forcibly displaced."

T/ Satt.

ANHA