The Cilbir village to the northwest of Afrin is in Sherawa’s mountainous Lelun region. The village has 90 houses and is 20 km from the center. There were many historic buildings in the 300-year-old village, and the villagers made their living mostly from olive trees and agriculture. There was some husbandry as well. The main road between Aleppo and Afrin crossed this village, which gave it a strategic significance as well.

After the Turkish state invaded Afrin, the Cilbir village was pillaged by them and their allied gangs. The villagers were forced to evacuate the village and migrate to Sherawa’s villages. The village is now used as a military zone by the Turkish state and their allied gangs.

The biggest part of the wall the invading Turkish state has built to cut off Afrin from the rest of the region is in the Cilbir village. The 3 meter high wall is said to go on for at least 1.000 meters. 40 houses have been demolished in the village to date, and the historic building called the Chamber has been completely destroyed.

“EVERYBODY CAN SEE WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO THE CILBIR VILLAGE”

Ethem Musa was born in the Cilbir village and lived there until the Turkish state invaded. He was forced to move to Sherawa after the invasion. Musa said everything in the village was destroyed by the Turkish state and added: “Cilbir village is centuries old. All the villagers are related. We have been living in the village since our ancestors. Cilbir village made a living from olive trees and agriculture. It is also a strategically important village between Afrin and Aleppo. The main road passes through here. There were historical artifacts in the Cilbir village. There were many historic houses.

The Turkish state attacked with jets and heavy weapons to invade Afrin. We were forced to leave our village. After we left, the Turkish state construction equipment has worked every single day. They tear down houses, they put up a periphery. 50 houses have been torn down. You can just see it. We can see it every day. There are not 10 houses left standing.

There was an area in Cilbir, it was an ancient place. We called it the Chamber. The history of Cilbir was written there. But the Turkish state completely destroyed that structure. They aim to destroy history in particular.

The Turkish state tore down each one of the historic houses and took away the artifacts they found. There are no houses left beyond their wall. This is done in front of everyone to see. The Syrian regieme and the international states see this, and nobody says anything.”