URFA - The people in Afrin where Turkey attacks with paramilitary forces using all kinds of techniques on grounds of its "survival", displayed a historic resistance for 58 days.

 

It has been 5 years since Turkey launched the attacks against the city of Afrin in Northern and Eastern Syria on January 20, 2018, with the support of international forces. Following the attacks that continued until March 18, Turkey and its affiliated paramilitary forces took control of the city. Since the said date, the city has been on the agenda with constant harassment, rape, extortion, theft, human trafficking, plundering of nature and changing of demography.

 

TURKEY'S THREATS 

 

Afrin was the place least affected by the civil war that broke out in Syria in 2011. After July 19, 2012, when the spark of the Rojava Revolution was lit, the administration in Afrin came under the control of the people. The inhabitants of the city formed councils and communes in the light of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan's paradigm along with establishing defense units to protect the city. The model, built under the leadership of the Kurds, was targeted by Turkey on January 20, 2018.

 

Before the attacks, President Erdoğan and government officials from AKP frequently targeted Afrin with the claim that their national survival is under threat. Foreign Relations Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu claimed that 700 attacks were carried out from Afrin to Turkey before the attacks. Erdogan, too, claimed that attacks were carried out from Afrin in early January, and frequently sought support from international forces for the attacks.

 

Upon the approval of the USA and Russia, the attacks started on January 20. In a statement he made the day after the so-called "Operation Olive Branch" attacks, Erdogan justified the attacks, claiming that 55 percent of Afrin's population was Arab, 35 percent are Kurds settled there "later" and 6-7 percent of the population are Turkmen. However, the reports published by the United Nations (UN) and the Kurds showed the opposite of Erdogan's claims. 

 

With the start of the attacks, the Russian forces in the region withdrew. On the first day of the attacks, 180 civilians and military buildings in Afrin center, Cindirês, Raco, Shera, Sherawa and Mabeta districts were bombed with 72 warplanes. Simultaneously with the air strikes, artillery shells were launched against Shehba.

 

25 THOUSAND PARAMILITARY MILITANTS

 

Turkey started a ground attack against Afrin from 7 points including Ezaz to the east of Afrin, Kilis to the north of Afrin, Hatay and Atmê Refugee Camp to the south of Afrin. Turkey targetted Hamam Village of Cindires, Kêvirê Ker Hill and Kastel Cindo Hill located at the border of Afrin, Ezaz and Kilis the most. 

 

25 thousand paramilitary militants from Semerkant Brigade, Liwa El Şemal, Liwa El Munteser Billah, Ceyş El Ehfad, Ehrar El Şerqiye, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Brigades, Sultan Osman Brigade, Quwet El Mexewir, Firqet El Sefwe, Sultan Murad Division, Firqet El Hemze, Siwar El Cezira, Fewc El Xamês, Firqa 23, Liwa El Muttesim, Feyleq-2, Firqa El Şemaliye, Fewc El Mistefa, Ceyş El İslam, Tecemuh Festakim Kema Umêrt, Cebhet El Şamiye, Liwa 51, Suqur El Şam, Harekat Ehrar El Şam, Firqa 9, Ceyş El Nûxbe, Feyleq El Şam, Lîwa El Sultan Süleyman Shah, Liwa Suqur El Şemal, Nuredîn Zenkî ve Cebhet Tehrîr.  

 

RESISTANCE OF THE CENTURY

 

In the first days of the attacks, it was frequently written by media outlets close to the government that Afrin would be taken under control in a week. However, that didn't happen. Turkey faced resistance from YPG, YPJ, Cephet El Ekrad, Seyş El Siwar, Asayish, Self Defense Force (HPC) and Erkê Xwê Parastin forces. Hundreds of people from Afrin took their place in the defense of Afrin by arming within the HPC. The fighters, who carried out the defense of Afrin, waged an uninterrupted struggle against uninterrupted attacks for 58 days. Those who defended Afrin called their resistance the "Resistance of the Century".

 

HOSPITALS AND BAKERIES BOMBED

 

With no progress in the first 45 days of the attacks, civilians were targeted. In the 58 days that the attacks continued, 31 schools in Afrin and its districts were targeted from air and land. 13 students lost their lives in the attacks.

 

Historical places also suffered from the attacks. Historical places such as Eyn Dara, Nebî Hûrî, Girê Îska, Dêr Belût and Girê Cindirês were heavily bombed both from the air and from the land.

 

Health centers and bakeries were bombed by warplanes. On March 16, Avrin Hospital, the largest hospital in Afrin, was hit by warplanes. On the same day, 35 civilians were killed by warplanes in Mahmudiye Neighborhood. 

 

498 CIVILLIANS WERE KILLED

 

According to the data of Afrin Canton Health Council, 176 civilians, including 27 children and 21 women, were killed in the first month of the attacks; 484 civilians, including 60 children and 71 women, were injured. Afrin Human Rights organization announced that 498 civilians were killed in Turkey's attacks in December 2020.

 

DECISION OF THE AUTONOMOUS ADMINISTRATION

 

Afrin Administration decided to evacuate the people from the city on March 16, 2018, after civilians were targeted. Between March 16-18, around 300,000 civilians had to migrate to Shehba. Afrin Canton Democratic Autonomous Administration made a press statement in Shehba on March 18, and said: “Attacks against Afrin started with the alliance with Russia on January 20 and the approval of the regional powers by being silent. With a hostile attitude, Russia opened its airspace for the Turkish state to commit genocide against our people with all its weapons and sacrificed the civilian population in Afrin for its own interests. For 58 days, our people and fighters carried out a great resistance against NATO's second largest army. However, the invading Turkish state has heavily targeted civilians and has begun to wreak havoc with attacks targeting the infrastructure of the city of Afrin. This is why we have taken the decision to evacuate civilians from the city in order to prevent a major humanitarian disaster from happening."

 

BALANCE SHEET

 

In a statement made in January 2019, YPG shared the balance sheet of the 58 days with the public. The report showed that Turkey carried out 1,988 air strikes and 3,577-4,000 heavy weapons attacks. It was stated that the fighters defending Afrin carried out at least 900 actions against Turkish forces. It was announced that 2 helicopters and 2 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down, 122 military vehicles were destroyed. It was also stated that 2,422 Turkish military forces were killed.

 

Rojava Martyrs' Families Institution announced that 987 fighters have lost their lives since January 20, 2018.

 

THE STANCE OF THE PEOPLE

 

Kazîkli Muhammed Silêman, who was the Co-Mayor of the Mabeta district of Afrin during the ongoing attacks, spoke about what happened back then. Reminding that Afrin is under the guarantorship of Russia, Silêman said that Russia allowed the attacks in exchange for the Ghouta region in Damascus. Stating that paramilitary forces attacked before January 20, but they did not get any results, Silêman said, "When Turkey saw that its hired forces could not achieve anything in their attacks, it itself got involved."  

 

Stating that the first day of the attacks was like the day of judgement, Silêman said: "The Kurdish people from 7 to 70, resisted against these invasion attacks. Everyone from 7 to 70 was involved in the defense of Afrin. Turkey attacked with all kinds of technology. While the airstrikes were carried out against Afrin, the gangs launched ground attacks on 8 different fronts. It was a massacre. A massacre took place in Afrin Mahmudîyê. There were also massacres in Cindirêsê and the Shrine. The people had to leave Afrin to prevent further massacres." 

 

'RUSSIA STOPPED THE REGIME FOR STANDING UP AGAINST TURKEY'S ATTACKS'

 

Stating that they called on the government of Damascus to protect the borders in the face of heavy attacks, Silêman said, "When Turkey attacked Afrin, the Syrian regime wanted to resist. But Russia did not allow it. The Syrian regime can do nothing because it is dependent on Russia and Iran. The Kurds called for the government of Damascus to protect their borders. The Damascus regime sent 140 soldiers who were not directly affiliated with it but acted with it. They were shot down by Russian and Turkish planes."

 

'DEMOGRAAPHY WAS TARGETTED'

 

Noting that the people had to migrate to Shehba, Aleppo and other places after leaving Afrin, Silêman continued: "The majority of the population living in Afrin was Kurdish. Turkey targeted Afrin to change the demography here. Erdoğan wanted to destroy the Kurdish population here because there was an election in the upcoming days. Erdoğan considered the Kurdish population in Afrin as a danger to himself. Turkey intervened so much to the city after occupying Afrin that if we went now, we might not recognize Afrin. They destroyed everything, the nature, the city, the arts, the people. They changed Afrin in every possible way."

 

MA / Ömer Akın

 

Tomorrow: The situation in Afrin after the attacks