Sîdra Mamo

 

SHEHBA - Reacting to the fact that Turkey and gangs affiliated with it cut down olive trees in Afrin and bring them to Turkey to trade, women of Afrin said, ‘’The Turkish state is committing crime against humanity. They rape and attack women every day. They kidnap women. That’s why we women, especially, will resist those gangs. We will organize’’.

 

In the attack carried out by Turkey and gangs affiliated with it on the Afrin Canton of North and East Syria on March 18, 2018, people’s homes and workplaces were looted and usurped. In Afrin, where its nature has also been plundered, olive trees are plucked from their roots and brought to Turkey. On the other hand, olives and olive oil obtained from the trees brought to Turkey are marketed abroad.

 

According to the report prepared by Afrin Human Rights Organization, more than 16.500 olive trees were cut down and brought to Turkey in 2021. 5000 were destroyed by burning. 11.000 olive trees were also seized. While it was stated that 50 olive trees were cut down in the Meydankê village of Afrin’s Şera district on December 10, women of Afrin reacted to the issue.

 

‘We will not leave our lands to the occupants’

 

Forced to migrate from Afrin to Shehba, Firyel Osman stated that the nature of Afrin has been plundered by Turkey and the gangs affiliated with it. ‘’We have migrated from Afrin to Shehba Canton for four years. We live in Fafîne, the resistance center of Shehba. We had to migrate due to the attacks of the Turkish state and its gangs. We had to protect our children. We are civilians. What was our fault so they made us experience this brutality? They stole our house, our property. They are also cutting down our trees from the roots and stealing them. They take them to Turkey. Our olive trees are being plundered. They don’t let us go to our land, our fields,’’ Firyel said.

 

Firyel called out to international states and organizations, emphasizing that they want to return to their lands and that they do not want the trees to be cut down. Underlining that the international forces are shut their eyes to the gangs occupying Afrin, Firyel said, ‘’We want solution. Enough is enough, we want to return to our home. It is our right to live on our lands. We will not leave our lands to the occupants, we will return eventually. We will achieve this with our resistance and struggle’’.

 

‘We want to live on our lands’

 

Hesna Mihemed, who is staying in Kurzêlê village, also stated that they migrated from Afrin due to the attacks. Saying that they cannot go to Afrin for four years, Hesna mentioned that camp life is difficult. Hesna pointed out that Turkey and gangs affiliated with it forced the people of Afrin to migrate and then seized all their properties. Hesna continued, ‘’They are plundering our nature. It makes us very sad that we can’t do anything here. Like all peoples, we want our rights. We want to live on our own lands. We will continue to resist and struggle until the last moment. We will follow in the footsteps of our fighters and be followers of their struggle. They even steal our olive trees. They steal our trees and trade on them. What do they want from our olive trees?’’

 

‘We will organize’

 

Rengin Birîmo pointed out that the stealing of olive trees shows the hostility towards the Kurds and said, ‘’We migrated from our land because of the Turkish state and its gangs. They harm our trees and nature in order to persecute us. The Turkish state does not know code, law or humanity. They are committing crime against humanity. They especially attack women. They rape and attack women every day. They kidnap women. That’s why we women, especially, will resist those gangs. We will organize. We will enlarge our organizing. We condemn the attacks. We want our rights. We will liberate Afrin’’.