MSDSeven years have passed since Turkey and its affiliated factions occupied the region of Afrin, a Syrian city. It was once a model of coexistence and diversity. However, it has since been transformed into a stage of the most heinous human rights violations. Systematic crimes have been committed against its indigenous population.
Since the occupation’s inception, Turkey pursued a policy of systematic forced displacement. Hundreds of thousands of Kurdish civilians were driven from their homes. Their properties were looted and seized. Those who remained in the city faced unimaginable horrors, including killings, torture, theft, kidnappings, and rape. These actions represent a blatant violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions.
The Turkish aggression went beyond mere military occupation. It included a deliberate attempt to erase the cultural and ethnic identity of Afrin’s inhabitants. This was achieved by altering the region’s demographic composition. Turkey imposed Turkification policies to suppress local culture and identity. Additionally, populations from outside the region were resettled in Afrin. These actions were part of a systematic plan to reshape the demographic and cultural reality of the city.
Today, more than a decade has passed since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis and after the fall of al-Assad’s regime, Turkey continues to occupy vast areas of northern Syria. These areas include Afrin, Ras al-Ain, Tel Abyad, Jarabulus, Azaz, and other Syrian towns and villages. By maintaining this occupation, Turkey disregards the sovereignty of the Syrian state and violates the rights of the Syrian people. The ongoing occupation deepens the Syrian crisis. Additionally, it threatens the unity of the country and perpetuates chaos and instability across the region.
We, as members of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), firmly and unequivocally reject this occupation. We call for its immediate termination. This includes ensuring the withdrawal of Turkish forces and their affiliated factions from all occupied territories. We also demand the unconditional return of the indigenous population to their regions. This return must be accompanied by international guarantees to protect them from acts of retaliation or persecution.
It is imperative to compensate those affected by the occupation. This compensation should address both material and moral losses suffered as a result of the occupation and its violations. Additionally, we call for the elimination of all remnants of the occupation. This includes the restoration of looted properties. It also involves prosecuting those responsible for crimes committed during the occupation. Finally, we emphasize the need to restore the cultural identity of Afrin and other occupied Syrian cities.
We urge the new Syrian administration to assume its national responsibilities. It must take a clear and firm stance in pressuring for an end to the Turkish occupation. At the same time, it should work diligently to ensure the safe return of the indigenous population to their regions. We also call on all Syrian powers to adopt a unified position regarding the ongoing Turkish occupation. This issue must be addressed as a major obstacle to the country’s unity. It is also a critical barrier to achieving national reconciliation among Syrians.
Furthermore, we hold the international community morally and legally accountable for the crimes committed by Turkey. These crimes have taken place in Afrin and other occupied regions. We call for serious and immediate steps to be taken to end this occupation. Moreover, the rights of the indigenous population must be restored to them.
There can be no stability in Syria or the wider region without ending the occupation. Stability will remain elusive until the rights of the affected populations are fully restored to their rightful owners.
March 18, 2025
Syrian Democratic Council
