YUSRA AL-EHMED

Raqqa- The Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions launched an offensive in Afrin 2018, displacing thousands to Shahba. Following the attacks by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to take control of Syria’s Aleppo city on November 27, 2024, the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions intensified their attacks on North and East Syria, forcibly displacing the people from Shahba, including the displaced people of Afrin living in Shahba.

The displaced women of Afrin, who took shelter in Syria’s Raqqa city due to the attacks on Shahba, keep resisting.

“We resist everywhere we go,” said Aras Şükrü Ali, who was first displaced from Afrin to Shahba and then from Shahba to Raqqa. “In 2018, the Turkish state launched a brutal offensive on Afrin. As the people of Afrin, we resisted the attacks for 58 days; however, we had to leave our homes due to the Turkish airstrikes and drone strikes. We took shelter in Shahba; however, the Turkish state attacked us in Shahba, displacing us from Shahba to Raqqa. I joined the civilian vigil that started on the Tishreen Dam against the Turkish attacks in order to support the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).”

Reminding that a victory was achieved on the Tishreen Dam by paying a high price, Aras Şükrü Ali said, “We will keep resisting until we return to our homeland, Afrin. As the women of Afrin, we hope to return to our homeland safely. All we want is the end of the civil war in Syria. Peace and stability should be ensured in Syria now. We do not want to be displaced again and face more destruction anymore.”

‘We will resist

“Whenever, we were displaced, we were targeted by Turkish bombardment,” said Siham Salameh, a displaced woman of Afrin. “We were targeted by the rockets and artillery fire of the occupying Turkish soldiers. Despite everything, we keep resisting.

We will resist until we return to our homeland. Our resistance is a response to the attacks of the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions.”

Siham Salameh also joined the civilian vigil staged on the Tishreen Dam. “Although the Turkish state targeted civilians, the resistance on the dam disappointed the Turkish state's plans for changing the demographic structure of the region. We still have hope of returning to our homeland and having a peaceful life there.”