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Selam Hisên, a member of the Democratic Syrian Council (MSD), in an interview with Hawar News Agency, assessed the socio-political outcomes of the Turkish forces and allied Syrian opposition factions’ takeover of Afrin (Efrin) in northeast Syria.”Kurdish people were subjected to forced migration, the nature and history of Afrin was also affected by the attacks. The attacks caused change in Afrin’s demographic structure”, said Hisên. “They are trying to annex Afrin to Turkish lands and Turkish education has been made compulsory in the schools. A Turkish flag has been placed on the doors of all institutions. Images of President Erdoğan and Ottoman figures have been plastered all over the city. All the treasures of Afrin have been plundered. Olive oil from Afrin was sent to Europe via Turkey”.
Criticizing the silence of the international organisations regarding the Turkish forces and allied Syrian opposition factions’ actions in Afrin for the past three years, Hisên said: “If the Turkish state had not had the approval of Russia and the US, it would not have occupied Afrin. For three years, international public opinion has remained silent about the occupation”.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF’s) resistance against the assault will be decisive in the region, stated MSD’s Hisen. “The new US administration will have to support SDF and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). We have been engaged in a diplomatic struggle in the international arena to get the Turkish state removed from these lands. We will continue this struggle to the end to ensure that the people of Afrin return to their homes”, he said.
