STOP TURKIJE'S OORLOG TEGEN DE KOERDEN

De luchtaanvallen van Turkije hebben Afrin geraakt, een Koerdische stad in Noord-Syrie, waarbij verschillende burgers zijn gedood en verwondNiet alleen de Koerden, maar ook christenen, Arabieren en alle andere entiteiten in Afrin liggen onder zware aanvallen van TurkijeDe agressie van Turkije tegen de bewoners van Afrin is een overduidelijke misdaad tegen de mensheid; het is niet anders dan de misdaden gepleegd door ISIS.

Het initiëren van een militaire aanval op een land die jou niet heeft aangevallen is een oorlogsmisdaad. Turkse jets hebben 100 plekken in Afrin als doelwit genomen, inclusief vele civiele gebieden. Ten minste 6 burgers zijn gedood en I YPG (Volksbeschermingseenheden) en 2 YPJ (Vrouwelijke Volksbeschermingseenheden) -strijders zijn gemarteld tijdens de Turkse aanvallen van afgelopen zaterdag. Ook zijn als gevolg van de aanval een aantal burgers gewond geraakt.Het binnenvallende Turkse leger voerde zaterdagmiddag omstreeks 16:00 uur luchtaanvallen uit op Afrin met de goedkeuring van Rusland. De aanvallen die door 72 straaljagers werden uitgevoerd raakten het centrum van Afrin, de districten Cindirêsê, Reco, Shera, Shêrawa en Mabeta. Ook werd het vluchtelingenkamp Rubar geraakt. Het kamp wordt bewoond door meer dan 20.000 vluchtelingen uit Syrië. Het bezettende Turkse leger en zijn terroristen probeerden eerst middels aanvallen via de grond Afrin binnen te dringen, maar zij faalden. Daarom probeerden ze de bewoners van Afrin bang te maken en ze te verdringen naar vrije gebieden van het Syrische leger / gebieden die door Turkije worden beheerd.

Het inmiddels zeven jaar durende interne conflict in Syrië is veranderd in een internationale oorlog. De oorlog heeft inmiddels geresulteerd in de moord op honderdduizenden mensen en de ontheemding van miljoenen bewoners, terwijl het einde van de oorlog nabij was. Echter, de Turkse regering onder leiding van Recep Tayyip Erdogan is nu samen met Al Qaeda (Heyet Tahrir El Sam) en met het Vrije Syrische Leger een militaire operatie in Afrin begonnen. Dit betekent dat de regio weer in een nieuwe, bloederige catastrofe gesleept zal worden met honger, moord op meer kinderen, ontheemding van de lokale bevolking en dus een nieuwe humanitaire crisis zal plaatsvinden. Onder internationaal recht wordt een dergelijke actie gedefmieerd als een "operatie voor invasie".

Noch het kanton Afrin, noch andere Koerdische regio's in Noord-Syrië hebben Turkije ooit aangevallen of bedreigd. Echter, Turkije heeft de afgelopen jaren verschillende plaatsen en dorpen voortdurend bedreigd en aangevallen. De acties van Turkije kunnen onder internationaal recht wettelijk gedefinieerd worden als een "aanval op een soevereine staaf", invasie van dat land en niet• uitgelokte aanval op haar burgers.s Wij roepen alle democratische krachten en de publieke opinie op om solidariteit te tonen jegens de Koerden en alle andere entiteiten in Afrin, door te protesteren en de Turkse genocidale invasie te veroordelen.

• Wij doen een beroep op de Verenigde Naties, de internationale gemeenschap en de wereldwijde anti• ISIS-coalitie om actie te ondernemen om deze aanvallen onmiddellijk te laten stoppen. Deze aanvallen hebben honderdduizenden mensen in Afrin als doelwit.

• Wij doen een beroep op de VN Veiligheidsraad om zo snel mogelijk acties te ondernemen en beveiligde zones te vormen in Noord-Syrië of ten oosten van de rivier de Eufraat en de westelijke gebieden. Dit zal de oplossing bieden voor de Syrische crisis in het kader van internationale legitimiteit.

• De stilte van de internationale gemeenschap rondom deze aanvallen zal de schending van mensenrechten en grondrechten legitimeren! STOP 'S WAR ON THE

Turkey air strikes hit Afrin, a Kurdish city in Northern , killing and wounding several civilians

Not only the Kurds even Christians, and all the other entities in Afrin are under a heavy attack by Turkey

Turkey's aggression against peopels in Afrin is a blatant crime against humanity; no different than the crimes committed by ISIS.

Initiating a military attack on a country that has not attacked you is a war crime.

Turkish jets targeted 100 points including civilian areas in Afrin. At least 6 civilians were killed and 1 YPG (Peop• le's Defence Units) and 2 YPJ (Woman's Defence Units) fighters have been martyred in Saturday's Turkish atta• cks. Also several civilian were wounded as a result of the attack.

The invading Turkish army carried out air strikes on Afrin with the approval of Russia at around 16:00 Saturday afternoon. The attacks by 72 fighter jets targeted Afrin centre, Cindirêsê, Reco, Shera, Shêrawa and Mabeta districts and the refugee camp Rubar. The camp Rubar inhabits more than 20.000 refugees from Syria. The occupying Turkish army and its terrorists, after failed to enter Afrin by attacking on the ground, tried to scare people of Afrin and displace them to Free Syrian ArmylTurkish held areas.

The seven-year long internal conflict in Syria turned into an international war, which resulted in the killings of hundreds of thousands of people and the displacement of millions, was almost nearing an end. The Turkish government under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, together with AI Qaeda (Heyet Tahrir EI ~am) and Free have now begun a military operation to Afrin. This means a new bloody conflict that will drag the region into a renewed catastrophe, inflicting hunger, killing more children, displacing the local population and ano• ther international humanitarian crisis. Under international law this action is defined as an "operation for invasion".

Neither , nor the other northern Syrian Kurdish regions, have ever attacked or threatened to attack Turkey. in fact, Turkey has constantly threatened and attacked the villages and localities several times in recent years. The legal definition of Turkey's actions, in international law, is defined as "attacking a sovereign country", invasion of their land and an unprovoked assault on their civilians.

We call all democratic forces and public opinion to show solidarity with the Kurds and all other entities in Afrin, to protest and condemn Turkey's genocidal invasion.

We call on the United Nations, the international community and global anti-ISIS coalition to take action in order for these attacks to stop immediately. These attacks target hundreds of thousands of people in Afrin.

We call on the United Nations Security Council to take action as soon as possible to form secure zones in Northern Syria or East of the River and the Western areas. This will bring a solution to the Syrian crisis within the framework of international legitimacy.

The silence of the international community in the face of these attacks will legitimise the violation of human- and fundamental rights. Adresse: Rue de Porto 132,4020 Liège I BELGIQE • TEL 003271318719 • Email: [email protected]

Erdogan gives order to attack Kurds and Arabs in Northern Syria's Afrin and

Turkish army and AI-Qaeda in action after Erdogan's orders Erdogan gives order to attack Kurds and Arabs in Northern Syria's Afrin and Manbij

Turkish army and Al-Qaeda in action after Erdogau's orders Hayet AI- Tahrir (previously known as AI-Nusra Front and Al-Qaeda) in opened artillery fire against the Kurdish city of Afrin right after Erdogan's statements on Saturday. The extremist groups targeted Iska and Celeme villages in the south of the canton of Afrin.

The Turkish army also bombarded YPG (Kurdish defence forces fighting with the International Coalition against ISIS) positions in Dir Belot village near Siye.

Late on Saturday the extremist groups and theTurkish army attacked Qere Baba, Ferferke and Pira Hesrekiya villages close to the Turkish border.

Local sources stated that the Turkish army, stationed in the area in the western

'I countryside of , targeted the villages of Shera district in Afrin canton with mortars. Till now, seven mortars have been fired, one of them fell among the civilians' houses in Kafar Jannah village, while the other mortars fell among the olive trees and the road , between Qetma and Kafar --~--_ ...... - ..... - ...... ----_...... Jannah villages in the district that resulted in material damage. The bombardment has been ongoing intermittently till today. Locals also reported new tank deployments in the area by the Turkish army. Turkish troops entered Idlib three months ago after an agreement with Russia and Iran for the three countries to try to reduce fighting between pro-Syrian government forces and rebel fighters in the largest remaining insurgent-held part of Syria. But the few observation posts which the Turkish army says it has established are close to the dividing line between Arab rebel-held land and the Kurdish-controlled region of Afrin.

In 2016 Turkey launched its Euphrates Shield military offensive in northern Syria to push back Islamic State from the border and drive a wedge between the Kurdish controlled regions.

"With the Euphrates Shield operation, we cut the terror corridor right in the middle. We hit them one night suddenly. With the Îdlib operation, we are collapsing the western wing," Erdogan said, referring to Afrin.

He also said Turkey could drive Kurds out of Manbij, which lies west of the Euphrates.

People of Manbij protest Turkish invasion People of Manbij organized a protest against Turkey and other foreign powers that want to create turmoil in the region. Several hundred people took to the streets in Manbij on Sunday to protest Turkish policies in the region. Protestors gathered together in EI-Beta junction and marched on the streets of the city with banners that read "No to Turkish occupation", "Rise up for the sake of love of Syria and peace", "No to oppression, yes to peace and brotherhood of the people".

Protestors carried flags of the and chanted slogans that condemned Turkey.

Manbij was liberated from ISIS back in 2016 by the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Our call and demands to the international community:

> Afrin has been one of the most stable and secure regions in Syria over the past five years. With this in mind, the city has taken in as much as its original population in IDPs. The UN and the International Coalition must ensure the continuation of Afrin 's stability and security. Afrin must be protected against external attacks. > Afrin is not a threat to Turkey and has not attacked anyone. The Turkish state is attacking Afrin because it is against the Kurds and Kurdish gains. This reality must not be neglected and the Turkish state's attacks must be prevented. > Russia, who is responsible for Afrin's air space, must not be a spectator to Turkey's attacks and must prevent any such show of aggression. > The attacks of the Turkish state against Afrin, Rojava and north Syria as a whole is beneficial for ISIS and other Salafist groups. The International Coalition Against ISIS must take precautions against this and must prevent the Turkish army's attacks. > The Turkish state is an occupying force in Syria. The international community must not be a spectator to this situation and the Turkish army must be made to leave Syrian soil. Adresse: Rue de Porto 132,4020 Liège I BELGIQE • TEL 003271318719 • Email: [email protected]

The geopolitical and geostrategic importance of Afrin and why the Turkish state wants to attack it The geopolitical and geostrategic importance of Afrin and why the Turkish state wants to attack it

Turkey lies to the north and west of Afrin, to the east are Turkish-backed groups and to the south the Nusra Front (Hayat Tahrir a/-Sham).

Oil and food prices in Arin, whose economy relies on olives, olive oil and fruit, have rocketed in recent times because of the embargo from all sides.

TÜRKÎVE

Kaynak: IHS Conflict Monitor (23 Kaslm) Since 2014, Arabs have been taking their place in the legislative assembly, the Presidential Council of the assembly, and the Executive Council in the canton's administration.

A small population of Arabs live in the centre of Afrin, with Alevi Kurds in Mabata, and Yazidi Kurds in Kastel Cindo and Ezaze.

Due to its relative stability, since 2013 Afrin has been a refuge for people who have fled ISIS from places like , Manbij, a/-Bab and Jarab/us. The population of Afrin, which consists of seven neighbourhoods and 365 villages, has doubled from the original figure of 400,000.

After the defeat of ISIS in Kobani and Gire-Spi in 2016 the Turkish state saw that its position had worsened; especially after it sold out its own gangs to the Syrian regime and Russian forces. To seek to remedy this the Turkish state redirected its attention towards the Democratic Autonomous Administration.

The occupying Turkish army has control of some parts of the region of Shehba. The primary objective of the military deployment in the Azaz-Jarablus pocket is to surround Afrin by taking what is seen as the Kurdish corridor between the air base and .

The ambitions of this occupation are two-fold: first the sabotaging of the Raqqa operation, and second, the protection of ISIS. There is also a desire to hinder the development of the North Syria Federation, fight against the Democratic Autonomous Administration and to prevent the development of democratic projects in Syria.

Since Afrin liberated itself from the Baathist regime Turkey has wanted to destroy the city. In June, the Turkish army and the FSA groups it is backing fired mortars into the city and since the beginning of the Rojava Revolution the Turkish state has killed many civilians, injured thousands and bumt swathes of land belonging to the people.

The Turkish state confessed its plans

Significant victories are being won in the Raqqa operation, ISIS and its biggest sponsor the Turkish state is losing in Rojava and northern Syria. Erdogan is unable to digest this loss and is therefore trying to take revenge on the Kurds. The Turkish state is attacking Afrin because it is afraid of any sort of status for the Kurds.

• ••• •

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Bina/i Yildirim and Defence Minister Fehmi Isik have been declaring their plan to attack Afrin. To get these plans approved Erdogan has had phone conversations with US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Theresa May. At the same time, the Turkish state is deploying its forces on the Turkey-Syria border and also in the occupied areas between Al-Bab and Azaz. They are firing mortars into Kurdish populated regions from the occupied lands in Syria on a daily basis.

The Turkish state is trying to gain support by discussing its plans for attack and occupation in the media and in daily meetings. For example, a top aide for the Turkish Prime Minister said on 3 July:

"We are constructing a military base on the most strategic hill in al-Bab. It is about to be completed Therefore, we will be ensuring the security of al-Bab and the wider region with our own police and military forces. We are working to stabilise the region. However, my personal opinion is that in order to stabilise the region we need to rid the of terrorists ". The aide also said that the foreign minister and the country's intelligence organisation was conducting its work to this end and added: "Turkey's plans for a secure area will be agreed upon in the Astana talks".

Turkey's reasons for its aggression

The civilised world is in a significant battle against ISIS and an international coalition has been formed for this. However, many documents and reports say that Turkey is supporting ISIS and providing them with arms. Turkey is threatening the region, the Kurds and the world through ISIS. This is why it is not in the interests of Turkey for ISIS to be defeated. The most successful battle of the International Coalition against ISIS has been conducted in collaboration with the Kurds and the Syrian Democratic Forces of which Kurds constitute a majority.

So then, why is Turkey wanting to attack Afrin, a city that does not threaten Turkey and where there is not a single ISIS fighter?

This aggression has no legal or ethical basis. There is only one reason behind Turkish state aggression towards Afrin and that is its Kurdish phobia. The Turkish state does not want the Kurds and their project to be successful. Turkey wants chaos, instability and war. Turkey does not want ISIS to be defeated. Turkey wants to occupy. Turkey is laying the groundwork for a regional and international war. Turkey wants to be a dominant force in the region by supporting Salafist forces and acting with a Turkish nationalist expansionist mentality.

With this policy, Turkey is diametrically opposed to the peoples of the region and the international community's objective of defeating ISIS. Turkey is sacrificing the will of the Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Keldanis, and Turkmen for its own expansionist objectives. Turkey's policies are leading it commit war crimes. Peoples of Rojava stand against Turkey's occupation

Hundreds of Arabs walked against Turkish state occupation in the villages of Keferneya, Umhos, Kefemase, Tell Rifaat, Ehres, Vahsiye, Fafen and Hisarcik.

--_.- -~ ----'-1- Civil CouncIl of the Re.gion Tabaka

People from Kefemeya village gathered in front of the village's mosque and walked to the local primary school. The marchers, who were joined by the Shehba People's Assembly and the Women's Assembly, shouted "murderer Erdoganl"

"We are all one and against occupation"

We see the Turkish army's presence on Syrian soil as an occupation. The presence of the Turkish army is also a threat to the democratic and peaceful future of Syria. The Turkish state is playing a negative role in the region. They should leave and all national and democratic forces in Syria should call for the Turkish state to leave Syria and Rojava. The Turkish state presence in AI-Bab, Jarablus and Shehba is itself a reason for the prolonging of war in Syria.

In the press statement from the march Arabs from Shehba declared support for the SDF and opposition to the occupation of the Turkish state. "The SDF saved us from evil. We are against the occupation of the Turkish state. Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen are united".

In the same statement, a message was sent to the people in Shehba living under Turkish occupation: "The Turkish state's aim is occupation it is not ensuring security. Everyone should stand against the Turkish state's occupation. The Turkish state's aim is to capture our villages and towns. They will not recognise the will of our people while doing this."

The Turkish army's attacks have begun

The Turkish army and gangs attacked the liberated villages of Shehba and Allin. The Turkish army and gangs attacked the villages of Mirenar, Filat, Qetma, Qestecindo in the region of Sera and fired mortars at Cilber and Iska villages of Serava. At the same time, they attacked the liberated villages of Erfad, Minix, Sex Isa, Biluniye.

During the attack, a woman named Sebah Isa and three other civilians were injured. The wounded were taken to hospital in Afrin.

The Turkish army has intensified its attacks against the villages of Yazi Bax and Keferato in the region of Shehba. Tens of mortars landed in the village at about 03.00 local time. Three people were killed as a result of the mortar fire and four people from the same family were severely injured. Those who lost their lives and were wounded:

Life lost: Xezala Yusiv (40), Muawiya El-Yusif(13), Tebarik EI-Yusif(13).

Wounded: Xensa El- Yusif (18), Rinda El- Yusif (23), Fidaa El- Yusif (19) ve Aya El Yusif (16).

According to information from doctors the injuries are critical. The Turkish army is emptying villages in Shehba, forcefully displacing Kurds

The Turkish state ethnically cleansing the regions between Jarablus, al-Bab and Azaz. It is emptying Kurdish villages and forcefully displacing the Kurds. They are also pushing out the Arabs of the region and redistributing the lands to their partners. The Turkish state is playing a very negative role in this region. They are playing with the demography of the region. This is a crime against humanity.

Turkey occupied Jarablus on 24 August 2016. After that it turned its attention towards Rai, Azaz, Exterin, Soran and finaly al-Bab. When Turkey occupied these places, its primary target was the region of Shehba; the 217 Kurdish villages in the region. During the army's occupation 50 of these villages were burnt and destroyed by soldiers and gangs, with property being looted. These villages are in between the region of al-Rai and Marea, and Marea and al-Bab. Some of the looted villages are: Rai, Dudyan, Gidris, Tel Sehir, Karagoz, Twis, Sava, Siverin, Beluniye, Tel Cican, Tel Circir, Qibbesin, Seyh Nasir, , Yazibag, Sosinbat, Karakopru, and Karamezra.

The occupying Turkish army and their gangs are emptying the towns of Marea and Shehba for military purposes.

Two days ago the Turkish army threatened citizens in Kurdish villages in the Shehba region to empty their houses.

According to local sources the villages of Hezwan, Sosyan, Neman, Birc, Keibe, Kefer Kelbin, Til Malid, Tiltane, Eble, Tewihine, Tiwes, Sidud, Baroza, Iwen, Dana and Izreq were emptied after threats from the Turkish army.

Again according to local sources gangs affiliated to the Turkish state emptied the villages of Sex Isa and Til Midyeq in preparations for an assault against the liberated areas of the Shehba region.

The Turkish army is deploying forces to the towns of Azaz and Marea and the villages of Til Malid and Kilcibrin in preparation for an assault against the canton of Afrin. Turkish attacks and the role of International forces

The defence forces of the Afrin region and YPG Commander Sipan Hemo evaluates the situation as follows:

"The Turkish state has been unsuccessful in its policies concerning Syria, the Middle East and Rojava Kurdistan. If Turkey attacks Afrin this would mean that Russia, Iran and Syria approve of this. This is not possible in any other w£ry. Our people must know that an attack by the Turkish state of this sort can only be conducted with the ,,;,lifr.~H approval of these states. Russia especially will have a significant role in this. Turkey entered Jarablus and al-Bab with permission from Russia and even the international coalition forces. This is an inter-state question. The Turkish state is making concessions, by making these it is frying to open itself a path. It is making a diplomatic effort towards this end and militarily it has brought together some groups.

The target of Turkey's massacres is hampering the efforts against ISIS. However, our people's path of self-defence will be implemented against anyone who intends to harm this strategy.

Unfortunately, some forces are continuing their support for Turkey. The silence of the international community against Turkey's intentions is not in the interests of the Syrian nation. It is for this reason that the international community is responsible for the situation in Syria.

If our calls to the international community to take a stand against Turkey's intentions do not materialise our people will have no choice but to resist.

Our people accept the joint borders within the framework of international law. However, Turkey's attacks continue. Our people see resistance against these attacks as a national duty." 'They are fighting against Kurds not ISIS'

Uweyd Abu Seqir, a gang leader who was formerly operating under the command of the Turkish army, said that the Turkish army was forming military headquarters in al-Bab to form a new fighting force.

The commander who left the gangs under the command of the Turkish army five days ago said that Turkey's intentions became clearer after the occupation of al-Bab: "The Turkish state wants to use us to occupy our own lands. We were receiving our orders from the Turkish army from the beginning. All our logistical needs were provided by the Turkish army. After the capture of al-Bab it became clear that the Turkish army's intention was not to fight against ISIS but rather to reinvigorate the Ottoman period. There were meetings between the Turkish army and ISIS and then tens of villages were handed over to the army by ISIS. The clearest example of this was the occupation of Jarablus."

A Kurdish-Arab conflict is being provoked through the media

Uweyd Abu Seqir said that the Turkish state was trying to provoke a Kurdish-Arab conflict in the region and that many media outlets were being used to this end.

Our call and demands to the international community:

» Afrin has been one of the most stable and secure regions in Syria over the past five years. With this in mind, the city has taken in as much as its original population in IDPs. The UN and the International Coalition must ensure the continuation of Afrin's stability and security. Afrin must be protected against external attacks.

» Afrin is not a threat to Turkey and has not attacked anyone. The Turkish state is attacking Afrin because it is against the Kurds and Kurdish gains. This reality must not be neglected and the Turkish state's attacks must be prevented.

» Russia, who is responsiblefor Afrin 's air space, must not be a spectator to Turkey's attacks and must prevent any such show of aggression.

» The attacks of the Turkish state against Afrin, Rojava and north Syria as a whole is beneficial for ISIS. The International Coalition Against ISIS must take precautions against this and must prevent the Turkish army's attacks.

» The Turkish state is an occupying force in Syria. The international community must not be a spectator to this situation and the Turkish army must be made to leave Syrian soil. Adresse: Rue de Porto 132,4020 Liège I BELGIQE • TEL 003271318719 • Email: [email protected]

Turkish invasion of Afrin Turkish invasion of Afrin

Turkey has been extremely angered by the Rojava's achievements in defeating the Islamic • State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and establishing a new system based on direct democracy, gender equality, inter-ethnic cooperation, secularism and environmental protection. The Turkish state is well aware that the promotion of this democratic project that can serve as a model for the rest of the region is tantamount to the demise of authoritarianism it stands for. That is why the Turkish state from the outset mobilised all its resources to crush the Rojava's Democratic Self• Administration. Failing to avert the development of Rojava, however, the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced on January 20 the launch of a war on Afrin; a quite city whose tranquil life had attracted most of refugees displaced from Idlib, resulting in its population rising from 500,000 in 2011 to 1,200,000 people in 2018.

Not long after Erdogan's declaration, it was on Saturday at 16:00 with the local time that 72 Turkish jet fighters attacked the Afrin Canton targeting at least 100 points including residential areas such as Afrin city centre, the Robar Refugee Camp and some civil institutions. In this wave of attacks, at least 13 civilians were injured, 1 fighter of YPG (People Defence Units) and 2 fighters ofYPJ (Women Defence Units) along with 6 civilians were killed.

Simultaneously, the Turkish army and its proxies, including some jihadist groups, attempted to cross the border into Afrin from Kurdo and Balia villages of Bilbil district. YPG and yP J fighters repelled the attacks immediately, forcing Turkish soldiers to withdraw. On the same day, Turkish proxies stationed in Mara town in the occupied areas of al-Shahbaa, began shelling Tal Rifat district and al- dam.

On Sunday 21, at around 16.10 with local time, Turkish warplanes began bombing central Afrin, the districts of Shera, Sherawa, Rajo, the Leluna and Bilbila mountains, the Ayn Daqna, the Mamula and Hejika villages in the Shera district. Turkish j et fighters also carried out attacks on the Robar Refugee Camp which shelters Internally Displaced Persons from Aleppo. A refugee, Nada Khalil, from Idlib, whose shelter was damaged by the shelling said: "We have forcibly abandoned our homes because of inhumane practices against us by the terrorist groups, and now where can we go in our spirit?"]

Whilst aerial assaults continued, the Turkish army began a ground offensive on Afrin through multiple points including the Bilike village. Failing to get through, they tried to frighten the local population out of their inhabitants. In addition, the Turkish army opened a salvo of artillery fire on Celeme, Ishka, Basufane and Xelil villages.

There is no doubt that without a Russian permission the attack would not have been possible, because Russian troops had been stationed in the area and the Afrin's airspace is under the control of Russians. A senior military source said approval has come from the "Afrin-Idlib

I http://en.hawarnews.comlrefugee-people-ask-we-abandoned-our-homes-because-of-the• brutality-of-mercenaries-now-where/ , ,

bargain" table. According to the reports, Russia, which withdrew its military force from Afrin after the start of operation, has arrived common goals with the Turkish state.

The Turkish army made another ground offensive in the Balia and Tuval villages in bulbul district in Rajo area. Failing to entre, they started an air attack on these villages.

Moreover, the Turkish army targets civilian cars driving on the border, in addition to targeting archaeological sites in Bulbul district. For example, they shelled Qustal Mekdad village belonging to Bulbul district and the Roman archaeological area "Nabi Hori" with artillery fire.

After suffering losses on the border following clashes that broke out with the YPG, Turkish aircrafts began again targeting the vicinity of Afrin city and Mobata district. According to YPG General Command, 4 Turkish soldiers and 10 proxies were killed.

Within the last two days, Turkish warplanes have massacred nearly 20 people, most of them children. Including in the victim are 8 people from an Arab family, who fled Idlib and settled in Afrin because of the war. The family that settled in Cilbir village some 4 months ago and lived on poultry farming. Their names and ages of those who were killed are as follows: Wael El Huseyn (1), Salameh Huseyn (6), Musab El Huseyn (6), Fatallah El Huseyn (8), Hadeel El Huseyn (10), Refeh El Huseyn El Homer (33), Ehmed El Huseyn (17), Samak El Huseyn (16).

What is really grabbing attention is the silence adopted by the international community. Other than French authorities no side has so far made a stance on behalf of the people of Afrin and Rojava, forgetting how Rojava's daughters and sons fought valiantly against one of the most brutal forces of all times. It was Rojava that rescued the world from the evil of ISIS, but this is Rojava that is being forgotten by the world while they are attacked by a NATO state, Turkey.

The Information Department of the Democratic Society Movement (TEV -DEM) 22.01.2018