human rights organization demands end to Turkish occupation in Syria

Today, the Human Rights Organization in Syria issued a statement to public opinion, on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the occupation of the cities of Serêkaniyê and Tal Abyad/Girê Spi, which stated:

“Today marks six years since the Turkish aggression against the cities of  (Ras al-Ayn) and Tal Abyad (Girê Spi) in northern Syria, which was launched by the Turkish army and its affiliated armed factions under the name of the “Syrian National Army,” on October 9, 2019, causing a massive humanitarian catastrophe represented by the forcible displacement of more than 300,000 civilians from their original inhabitants, amid grave violations of international humanitarian law and crimes amounting to  War crimes."

The organization said that the Turkish aggression used various types of weapons, including internationally banned ones, with the aim of bringing about systematic demographic change in the region, and indicated that the violations have not stopped since then, and include murder, kidnapping, extortion, confiscating property, and preventing people from returning to their homes.

The statement added that residents who tried to return to their areas faced security threats, arrests, and torture, while thousands of displaced people were forced to live in camps that lacked the minimum necessities of a decent life, or to migrate outside the country in search of safety.

The organization indicated in its statement that the March 10 agreement signed between the transitional government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, which stipulated a guarantee for the return of the displaced to their areas, has not been implemented to date, and considered that this represents a clear repudiation of official obligations towards the issue of the displaced and the victims who are still waiting for justice and revealing the fate of the missing.

The statement stressed that the continuation of the occupation and ignoring the rights of the victims obstructs any political path or comprehensive Syrian solution, and stressed that ending the tragedy in Serêkaniyê and Tal Abyad (Girê Spi) is an essential step to achieving civil peace and stability in the country.

At the conclusion of its statement, the organization called for the following:

- Removing all armed factions loyal to Turkey from Serêkaniyê, Tal Abyad (Girê Spi), and Afrin.

Ensuring the safe return of displaced persons under the supervision of the United Nations and with international guarantees.

- Holding perpetrators of war crimes and violations against civilians accountable, revealing the fate of those forcibly disappeared, and releasing all detainees who were forcibly transferred into Turkish territory and trying them with sentences of up to life imprisonment on charges of threatening Turkish national security, in flagrant violation of relevant international laws and agreements.

Sending an international investigation committee to follow up on violations and bring those responsible to trial.

- Compensating those affected, returning seized property to their owners, and restoring and rehabilitating the destroyed infrastructure under direct UN supervision, in order to ensure a just solution that is consistent with human dignity and rights, guarantees civil peace and supports sustainable peace.

The organization concluded its statement by emphasizing that "achieving justice and holding perpetrators accountable is the only way to build lasting peace in Syria and ensure a dignified and safe return for all displaced persons."

ANHA