afrinpost – Exclusive
Horrific human rights violations, killings, kidnappings, enforced disappearances, rape, thefts and looting have become the content of dozens of UN official reports, human rights and media organizations, and have become constants that cannot be doubted, as there are no signs of stability and security, except for Turkish media propaganda. Suddenly, a “mouthpiece” separated from reality, defending Ankara’s policy and justifying all these documented violations, describing them as “individual acts”.
“Demographic change” by settling armed families:
What is happening in Afrin is a blatant violation of international charters and laws. However, what the so-called Nasr al-Hariri stated during his visit to Kurdistan region can be described as a “denial” of all the horrific violations documented by international, human rights and media reports, whether the violations against individuals include murder, kidnapping, enforced disappearance, rape, and expropriation of property. Which led to demographic change in Afrin region.
The so-called Nasr al-Hariri, head of the so-called “Syrian National Coalition”, indicated that the practices of the Muslim Brotherhood militia affiliated with Turkey, represented by the so-called National Army, are individual acts.
In the same context, members of the Kurdish National Council, including Abd al-Hakim Bashar, claimed that “there is no demographic change in Afrin,” noting that the families in Afrin “are wealthy and have property in their areas and they will return to it. They are just displaced people who fled battles.”
The truth is that the demographic change is not a result of war, but rather a basic goal was set for it, and it began in an early period of the occupation, as there are villages completely empty of its Kurdish inhabitants, and their return is prevented, such as Bafloun and the village of Kojuman, for example, it was done by forcing each Family in the village to house an IDP family with them, even with the presence of their owners in it. Those who opposed are kidnapped by the militias, who accuse them of being loyal to the Autonomous Administration and the People’s Protection Units/ YPG.
The policy of the Turkey is not limited to civilians and settlements, but rather includes plundering the region, which is rich in agricultural products, especially olive oil.
According to the latest statistics obtained by afrinpost, since the beginning of the occupation of Afrin region until today, more than 1,400,000 trees (including 670,000 olive trees and 730,000 forest trees) are cut down or burned.
Even archaeological monuments were violated, as large numbers of antiquities and precious objects were stolen, most notably the stolen lion from the archaeological site of Ain Dara, and a mosaic paintings from Prophet Hori site, more than 43 archaeological sites was bulldozed, graves were exhumed and religious shrines were destructed.
The Turkish armed forces endeavor to remove history and erase the identity of Afrin region and its Kurdish peculiarity by changing the historical and civilizational monuments, imposing a different culture by changing the names of public squares, main streets and some villages, Turkifying and Arabizing Kurdish villages, and changing their demographics by settling Arabs and Turkmen instead of the indigenous Kurds.
With regard to human rights violations and crimes against the people of Afrin, murders and indiscriminate kidnappings are frequent, as the number of kidnapped persons reached 7,457 civilians, the fate of more than 3,500 citizens is unknown, and some of them were transferred to Turkey for trial.
The Turkish authorities have imposed the Turkish language as a subject in the school curriculum, as it is present in all the details of daily life, along with Turkish culture, as cultural centers are opened in Afrin, in parallel with spreading extremist ideology and opening Muslim-Brotherhood schools, with the aim of reformulating the region’s culture and creating profound changes with long-lasting effects .
Violations in Numbers:
1- 300,000 citizens are forcibly displaced.
2- 7,457 civilians are kidnapped and the fate of more than 3,500 is still unknown .
3- 612 civilians were killed and 691 wounded, including 303 children and 214 women.
4- More than 315,600 olive and forest trees were cut down and uprooted.
5- 207 Booby traps and mines incidents.
6- More than 12,000 hectares of agricultural land were burned.
7- More than 28 archaeological sites and 78 archaeological hills were destructed.
8- 64 schools were destructed.
9- More than 250 seized houses were documented.
10- Oil and olives were stolen and transported to European markets.
11- 140 olive presses were seized.
The Most Prominent Prisons:
1- Al-Basuta prison: run by al-Hamzat mercenaries and under the supervision of the Turkish intelligence, this prison was known as “al-Qalaa” after the name of one of the prisons of the Ottoman Empire during their occupation of Damascus, and there all kinds of brutal torture are used.
2 Al-Mahatta prison: is called al-Mahatta, which means the station because it is also a train station that is supervised by the Turkish intelligence and is located near Raju, and most of the detainees there are residents of Raju Mobata, and Meydana.
3- Rajo Prison: or what is known as al-Salafi/the Salafist Prison, where torture is practiced systematically, prayer, reading of the Qur’an and religious lessons are required in which the Kurds are treated as infidels.
4- The Turkish intelligence prison in Raju: is also considered one of the secret prisons, is managed and supervised by the Turkish intelligence alone. The prison is considered a place for investigation and the transfer of detainees to Turkey.
5- Kuran prison: is a small prison, in one of the houses located on the outskirts of Kuran village, run by the terrorist elements of Faylaq al-Sham. Most of the detainees there are residents of the village of Kuran, Kafar Safra and Jendreres district.
6 Al-Mawasalat Prison: also considered one of the worst prisons in Afrin, run by Jabhat al-Shamiya elements, and it is also known as the Investigation Prison, where many eyewitnesses and detainees spoke of severe torture.
7 Al-Karamah School Prison: is considered one of the oldest schools in Afrin, in which various types of torture are practiced, and it is run by members of Faylaq al-Sham and Turkish Intelligence, and it has a section for women.
8- Al-Mahkama prison: is located near formerly Avrin hospital. It is one of the basements located within the old court and it is a prison for women.
9- Trenede checkpoint prison: managed and supervised by Turkish intelligence. It is also considered one of the most dangerous Turkish prisons in which all kinds of physical and psychological torture are practiced.
10- Azhar Afrin Private School prison; is directly managed and supervised by Turkish intelligence.
11- Amir al-Ghobari School prison: in the center of Afrin is also managed and supervised by Turkish intelligence.
12- Kharab Sharran school prison: the terrorist groups also turned this school into a prison.
13 Al-Ittihad al-Arabi School prison: is located in Afrin has become a military headquarters and there is a special section for prisoners supervised by Jabhat al-Shamiya terrorist group.
14- Al-Vellat Street prison in Afri: is one of the deserted houses, which Ahrar al-Sharqiya operatives turned it into a prison.
15- Al-Ashrafieh prison: is also one of the houses that had been seized by groups affiliated with “Tajammo’ Adl” led by Abu Idris, and it was turned into a secret prison.
16 Afrin Prison: or as it is known as Marateh Prison, and it is of two civilian and military sections.
In general, the statements of the so-called Nasr Hariri and all members of the coalition aim to beautify the occupation, conceal the truth, and reconcile with the reality of violations in the service of Ankara’s policy, at the expense of the Syrians, especially the Kurdish people.
