MESOPOTAMIA NEWS INSIGHT SYRIA-KURDISTAN : Ibrahim Sheikho: “New York Times” tries to legitimize Turkish occupation of Afrin

The official spokesman for the Human Rights Organization Afrin-Syria, Ibrahim Sheikho, said, “The American New York Times is complicit with the Turkish occupation in legitimizing its occupation of Afrin,” indicating that Turkey has bought it off as well as another Spanish newspaper, similar to what it did previously with the International Weapons Prohibition Organization when its army used chemical weapons in Serekaniye/ Ras al-Ain.

NEWS 26 Feb 2021, Fri – 12:17 2021-02 AL-SHAHBA – LINDA SHEIKH  – ANF

On February 18, the American New York Times published a report in English on the city of Afrin, which has been occupied since March 2018 by the Turkish occupation army, in which it justified the crimes committed by the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries, and legitimized their occupation of the city, through its interviews with the mercenary factions of the Turkish occupation and the settlers inside Afrin, who accused the original residents of Afrin of terrorism.

The city of Afrin was living in a state of safety and stability prior to the Turkish occupation attack on January 20, 2018, which prompted thousands of displaced people from other Syrian regions to seek refuge in it.

With Turkey and its mercenaries occupying the city, they worked to change the demography of the city by bringing settlers from Ghouta and other areas to it.

Not to mention the killings, kidnappings and rape against the indigenous people, and the looting of their property and crops, in addition to the uprooting or burning of olive trees, as well as the bulldozing and theft of archaeological sites.

In this regard, the official spokesman for the human rights organization Afrin – Syria, lawyer Ibrahim Sheikho, told our agency, “The American newspaper justified, through its report, Turkey’s occupation of Afrin under the pretext of purifying it from terrorists and separatists in indication to the people of Afrin.”

He continued: “The newspaper also gave legitimacy to Turkey by taking permits from Turkish security officials in Afrin that the bombed vehicles and explosions were carried out by Kurdish forces.”

‘The Kurdish forces are from Afrin, while Turkey is occupier’

Sheikho wondered, “If there are Kurdish forces in Afrin that carry out explosions and booby traps, are there Kurdish forces in the city of Al-Bab, Jarablus and Idlib?”, Adding: “All of these areas are under Turkish occupation and are subject to bombings.”

Sheikho added, “The New York Times is bemoaning about the conditions of settlers inside Afrin, but where are the original inhabitants of Afrin from the Kurds and Arabs and from other components of this?”

He added, “The newspaper described the original residents of Afrin as being displaced along with the fighters, and this is another prejudice to the citizens’ rights. The fighters were from Afrin, and it was Turkey that encroached on them and occupied their land.”

‘New York Times misrepresents the facts’

Sheikho continued by saying: “This is evidence of the newspaper’s complicity with the Turkish occupation, and all the countries that gave the green light to the occupation of Afrin are partners in the violations against our children in Afrin be it the Kurds or Arabs, and this is clear indication that the international community is hypocritical.”

Sheikho described the American newspaper as a “mercenary”, questioning that it is “Turkish and not American, because journalistic ethics do not allow highlighting the opposite of what is happening on the ground.”

Sheikho went on to say: “If everything I have written is correct, then what about what is happening in Afrin and the video clips that are published? What about our monitoring and documentation of what is happening in Afrin on a daily basis!

Adding, “All this is taking place in full view of the world, and if Turkey is sincere about what is happening in Afrin, let it allow the sending of international fact-finding committees and free media to Afrin.”

‘The Turkish occupation covers up its crimes by paying bribes’

Sheikho stressed, “Turkey sends loyal parties, such as the American New York Times, and another Spanish newspaper that recently entered Afrin, to represent the role of the coalition in forming the grievance redress committee.”

“According to reports issued by the International Fact-Finding Commission, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Amnesty International, all of them accused Turkey of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afrin,” he said.

Noting, “Turkey covers its crimes by paying bribes to such newspapers and the media, and it also paid bribes to the International Arms Prohibition Organization to deny in turn that Turkey hit Serekaniye with chemical weapons that killed innocent civilians,” pointing out that such international organizations have lost their credibility and morals.

At the end of his speech, Ibrahim Sheikho held the international community and human rights and international organizations responsible, calling on them to closely monitor what is happening in Afrin.

According to the statistics of the Human Rights Organization Afrin-Syria for the crimes of the Turkish occupation army in 2021 that 13 people were killed, including two women, and 112 people were kidnapped, including 13 women.

J.O