IDPs from Afrin vow not to relinquish their land

The displaced people of Afrin praised their leadership for keeping the issue of return present on every negotiation table and expressed full confidence in their forces’ ability to secure a safe return, conditional on the complete withdrawal of Turkish occupation forces and their mercenaries.

Fikret Bakr Mustafa, one of the displaced women, said: “We wish to return to our area as soon as possible, and we will not give it up to anyone else. Afrin was ours and will remain ours. Our ancestors planted millions of olive trees, turning it into a land of abundance, and their descendants will preserve it. The occupier’s time there has come to an end.”

She added: “Our return will only take place once the area is fully liberated from the occupation and its mercenaries—with our organization, our forces, and the yellow flag raised above us.”

She continued: “We refused to submit to the rule of the occupation and its proxies, and after eight years of struggle, we will not consider returning unless they withdraw completely. We trust only our own forces—they alone can protect us. The so-called interim government remains incapable of maintaining order, operating under Turkish supervision. We await our leadership’s decision and are ready to return under their protection.”

Another displaced woman, Amina Sheikho, affirmed the continuation of resistance and steadfastness: “We have resisted for many years and will continue our struggle until we reclaim our region from the occupiers’ hands. We have endured exile with the hope that one day we shall return—and that is not a dream but a certainty.”

She added: “What belongs to us will return to us, and we will not surrender it to those who do not understand the meaning of land and trees. We are not alone—our forces stand beside us, while the current government cannot be trusted to protect its people.”

Displaced resident Nasib Brazi recalled the cause of their displacement: “Afrin is a land of abundance, beautiful with its villages, mountains, and rivers—yet it did not escape the greed of the Turkish occupation, which forced us into exile through its brutal attacks and crimes.”

He said: “For eight years we have endured the pain of separation and longed for the scent of its soil,” calling for a “dignified and imminent return.”

He added that the displaced “have full confidence in their forces and organizations, which continue to raise our case at every negotiation table. We insist on our right to live on our land. We have never encroached on others’ rights—we are merely defending our existence.”

He concluded by reaffirming their determination: “As long as we live, we are ready to do whatever it takes to visit the graves of our martyrs in Afrin, to tell them the story of a people who fought to free their land. Their memory lives in our hearts.”

ANHA