afrinpost – Exclusive
The Turkish authorities institutions in Afrin region stayed open and the employees as well as the students attended their places of work and schools on 3/21/20121 as usual, despite the fact that the Syrian-Muslim Brotherhood coalition announced that Nowruz is an official holiday to allow the people to celebrate Newroz, according to what a leader in the Kurdish National Council declared.
All the teachers, students, and local councils employees of were at their institutions and schools, given that an official decision of a holiday was not issued by the Turkish government, according to our reporter.
In the same context, the occupied Afrin region witnessed limited, small groups celebrations, in Mydanki, Zeytunak, Basuta, Meydana, Qassem, Haj Khalil, Sheikh Bilal, Miske, and Shieh villages, despite the noise and propaganda caused by the pro-Turkish media and the Muslim Brotherhood on the occasion.
“The militia of “Sultan Suleiman Shah – Al-Amshat” set the fire of Newroz then called the villagers in the villages under their control to gather in Shieh at the presence of its leader “Abu Amsha” ” Our sources stated.
The sources indicated that the residents of the village of Qarmatlaq and the rest of the villages under the militia control were coerced to attend the celebration, which was completely devoid of joy, according to what appeared in a video published on social media.
Observers believe that the interest of the Syrian-Muslim Brotherhood coalition in this year specifically of “Nowruz” is due to its desire to cover up the crimes committed by the Turkish forces and their Islamic militias against the people of Afrin since three years, and the acceptance of the coalition’s invitation by some Kurdish parties to hold Newroz ceremonies, comes in the context of legitimizing the occupation’s policies and crimes in the occupied region, and accepting the reality forced after the occupation, especially the crime of “demographic change.”
Since the Kurdish region was occupied in March 2018, the Turkish authorities have prevented the ceremonies of Newroz from setting fire to and celebrating it in nature and launched arrest campaigns against those who dared to celebrate it.
