People who have witnessed the massacres and violations carried out by the occupying Turkish state and their mercenary allies in Afrin have told of their ordeal at the International Forum on Demographic Change and Ethnic Cleaning in Afrin. The Forum began on Sunday morning in Amude and saw the participation of foreign guests as well as local speakers.
Witnesses told how the invading Turkish state attacked Afrin with all kinds of high-tech weapons in front of the eyes of the entire world, but despite this the reaction from the international community towards these crimes and the destruction of the city was none.
Witnesses drew attention to the fact that the occupying Turkish state bombed all areas of Afrin regardless of whether they were hitting children, women or military forces.
One of the witnesses said that when he was leaving Jindires, the planes were bombing the area and as a result of it his brother lost his life while some of his family members were injured. When they brought the injured to Avrin Hospital the occupiers attacked the hospital as well.
Witnesses underlined that a large number of children were slaughtered during the 58-day attacks launched by the occupying Turkish army and their mercenary allies. Afrin and villages were destroyed.
Witnesses stressed that Kurds were forcibly removed from their houses and that the mercenaries were settled in their houses. Kurdish language was banned, and Arabic and Turkish were made compulsory, thus contributing to the change in the demography of Afrin.
The occupying Turkish army and their mercenary allies took many civilians prisoners and they tortured them mercilessly, demanding a ransom for their release. Despite all these crimes being carried out in front of the world’s eyes, the international community remained silent.
When the occupying Turkish army and its mercenary allies actually entered Afrin, the people suffered terrible violations once again. They were forced to leave their houses and migrate to Shehba, while the occupiers ransacked their houses and stole their property.
A 5th grade student in Afrin said that her school and home were bombed, and so the girl was forced to flee while the mercenaries seized her family’s house.
A Yazidi woman called Eyise, from the village of Qebare, told how the Turkish occupying forces-linked mercenaries plundered villages, destroyed the Yazidi religious sites and buildings, cut their trees.
She also confirmed that the mercenaries kidnapped hundreds of civilians and demanded ransom to release them.