Refugees who have been forced to migrate from northern Syria’s Afrin (Efrîn) due to the Turkish occupation in the region have defiantly spoken on the policies of the Turkish state in the region, saying they are aimed at destroying and changing the fabric of the city.
Stating that they will not allow the city to change its identity, migrants living in Shahba (Şehba) Canton of northern Syria spoke to Hawar News Agency (ANHA).
“Qatar Red Crescent is building colonial houses in co-operation with the Turkish state. These houses are not built for the people of Afrin. Those who are placed in these houses are families brought from Quneytirayê and Xûta,” Fatme Dewûd said. “The main reason for this is to change the demographic structure of the region. We tell the Turkish state and its partners that they cannot change the demographic structure of the region and our identity,” she added.
Hesen Hesen had a similar opinion, saying “The Qatar Red Crescent has forgotten that what was done to the Kurds was also done to them. It is clear that their aim is to destroy the Kurdish people and change their demographic structure. The enemy will not achieve its goal. We want those who committed these crimes in the region to be held to account.”
“We call on legal organisations to take action for Afrin as soon as possible. The occupation and violations of rights in Afrin must end,” Hesen Osman told ANHA.
Turkey’s occupation
On 20 January 2018, the Turkish government announced the start of the offensive “Operation Olive Branch” against the Kurdish city of Afrin.
Until Turkey’s ground offensive displaced nearly 300,000 Kurdish residents, the city had been a relatively peaceful area where civilians affected by the Syrian civil war had sought refuge.
To this day, reports continue to pour in of serious human rights abuses committed by the Turkish armed forces and Syrian armed groups allied to them.
Earlier this year, the Kurdish-led Democratic Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (AANES) announced plans to mobilise resources for Afrin’s liberation, condemning what they term as Turkish occupation and calling for international support to end atrocities and demographic changes.
Demographic changes
Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, reports from January 2024 point to a controversial and unconfirmed relocation of thousands of Hamas members to Afrin.
Visual evidence from the region and reports from Kurdish sources have previously suggested Turkish and Qatari collaboration in a plan to relocate Palestinian families to Afrin.
In 2023, Turkey completed the construction of a new settlement in the outskirts of Afrin. The enclave, funded with financial support from Saudi Arabia, consists of over 350 prefabricated chambers, signalling a significant expansion in the ongoing efforts to reshape the demographic landscape of the region.
The number of enclaves established by organisations in Turkey, Kuwait, and Qatar within Afrin has now reached nearly 30, according to the North Press Agency. Several of these settlements have been established with the help of funds from Palestinian organisations.
