Refugees from Afrin – who have been living in Serdem Refugee Camp in Shahba canton – organised a march in the Serdem Camp in protest against the ongoing Turkish military offensive in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Hundreds of families have been forced to vacate their homes since the 2018 “occupation” of Afrin (Efrin) by Turkey and local jihadist mercenaries backed by Turkey. Human Rights Watch also defined Turkey as an “occupying power” in North East Syria in February this year.
The protestors praised the resistance of Kurdish fighters against the ongoing military campaign launched by Turkey on 23 April in Iraqi Kurdistan that has mainly targeted the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) zones in Metina, Avaşin and Zap regions, also known as the “Medya Defence Zones”.
After holding a moment of silence in front of the Camp Assembly building, Hesen Osman, an executive of the Serdem Camp read out a statement. “The plot against the Kurdish people is on the agenda via these operations, but the Kurdish people will continue their resistance against the occupiers with the philosophy of leader Apo [a reference to the jailed PKK leader, Abdullah Öcalan]”, Osman said.
Saliha Mihemed, an executive member of the Star Congress, a confederation of women’s organisations in North and East Syria, spoke afterwards and also praised the resistance of the Kurdish fighters in Iraqi Kurdistan. “Kurdish people are proud of their heroes in the mountains and embrace their struggle in an effort to enlarge this struggle”, Mihemed said.
