Tel Abyad IDPs’ Committee called on the international human rights organizations and the UN on Sunday to stop the violations of the Turkish-backed opposition factions, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), in their areas in northern Syria and to secure a return to their homes.
On October 9th, 2019, the Turkish forces and their affiliated SNA factions launched a military operation against the cities of Tel Abyad and Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), northern Syria. The operation, named “Peace Spring,” led to the occupation of the two cities and their countryside, in addition to displacing more than 300.000 of the original inhabitants.
This came in a statement issued by the committee in Tel al-Samen camp north of Raqqa Governorate, northern Syria.
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The committee stressed that the SNA continues its violations against residents for the fourth year in a row.
The statement noted that the Turkish military operation had caused damage and destruction to their towns and villages and displaced their residents.
“On this day three years ago, the people of Tel Abyad suffered the owes of forced displacement from their towns and villages in front of the whole world with no one to help,” the statement added.
The residents of Tel al-Samen camp suffer from dire humanitarian conditions amid the absence of relief organizations.
The statement refused the “policy of Turkification and demographic change implemented by Turkey” and called for a Syrian dialogue to push Turkey out of Syrian territory.
Co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) Riyad Darar said ousting Turkey from Syrian lands needs an international consensus.
Darar added that the continued violations are contradictory to international law and do not respect states’ sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The SDC is the political wing of the SDF and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). It was founded in 2015 and includes all north and east Syria communities.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
