Council of Martyrs’ Families in Afrin-Shahba condemns Turkish occupation's crimes

The Council of Martyrs’ Families in Afrin and Shahba Canton issued a statement at the sports complex in Tabqa, attended by dozens of council members.

The statement was read in Kurdish by Heva Hassan and in Arabic by Kurdistan Murshid. It began: “We strongly condemn and denounce the policies and attacks of the Turkish occupation state and its mercenaries on the regions of NE Syria, as well as the repression and forced displacement of unarmed civilians in Afrin and Shahba.”

The statement continued: “The recent displacement of a large number of people during these harsh winter days has resulted in deaths among children and the elderly.” It also referred to the "heroic" act of Abdulrahman Murshid, one of the founders of the Syrian Democratic National Alliance Party, who chose to end his life rather than fall into the hands of mercenaries on December 2.

The statement elaborated that Abdulrahman, after traveling several kilometers from his home, refused to surrender or leave his homeland again. His action sent a message to the unarmed people, weary of displacement and migration, as he chose to die with dignity rather than fall into the hands of the mercenaries. Before his act, he declared, “No to the occupation of our lands.”

The council called on the international community and human rights organizations to fulfill their responsibilities by stopping the attacks, conflicts, and forced displacements committed by the Turkish occupation state. It urged them to consider the plight of the displaced people from Afrin, Shahba, and Aleppo, and to ensure their return to their areas after achieving security and stability in the region and reaching a swift political resolution to end the crisis and war.

In conclusion, the Council of Martyrs’ Families in Afrin and Shahba reaffirmed, “We believe in the strength and solidarity of the region's people and in our unity to achieve peace, victory, dignity, and the resistance of the people.”

A-H

ANHA