The Turkish state's occupation of Afrin (Efrîn) in March 2018 forced its people to abandon their lands and relocate to Shehba. Even in Shehba, they endured numerous Turkish attacks, but despite all the difficulties and aggression, they never surrendered and continued their resistance. However, due to continuous assaults by the Turkish state and its allied Syrian National Army (SNA) gangs, Afrin residents were once again displaced, forced to flee further. 

The citizens talked to ANF about the hardships they faced throughout their displacement, from Afrin to Shehba, and then to Raqqa. 

Elî Pîrî said: "The occupying Turkish state attacked Afrin to fulfill its goal of establishing a new Ottoman rule and seizing our lands. The sky over Afrin was filled with 72 warplanes. At that time, every town and village in Afrin was bombarded. The Turkish state directly targeted civilians, including women and children. They committed massacres, and thousands of people were killed. However, the people of Afrin resisted for 58 days and did not surrender their land to the enemy easily."

Our resistance remains our strongest weapon against the enemy 

Fatma Reşîd, a resident of Bilbilê district in Afrin, described the forced displacement she endured following the Turkish state’s occupation: "Life in Afrin was beautiful and peaceful. But the occupying Turkish state launched brutal attacks against us. Children, women, and the elderly were massacred. After 58 days of resistance, we were forced to leave our lands. We left our homes and lands behind and settled in Shehba, with the hope of returning to Afrin one day. When we arrived in Shehba, we always said, ‘We will make this place a little Afrin for our children.’

However, the enemy attacked again and forced us out of Shehba as well. After these attacks, we moved to the Autonomous Administration regions. The Turkish state displaced us twice. We are civilians, and according to international law, forced displacement, torture, and massacres of civilians are prohibited. Yet, the occupying Turkish state has left us homeless and stateless. During the displacement, massacres, abductions, and countless inhumane crimes were committed. The Turkish state is intensifying its attacks against the Kurdish people with each passing day. In response, the Kurdish people will always resist, and our resistance will remain our strongest weapon against the enemy."

Another of those forced to flee Afrin and Shehba was Ferîde Ehmed.

Emphasizing that the 2018 attacks constituted crimes against humanity, Ferîde Ehmed described her experience: "We were living safely in our home in Afrin. But the enemy attacked us, forcibly displaced us from our homes and lands. Hundreds of women and children were murdered or abducted. Yet, no international power spoke out against this war, nor did they take action to stop the attacks. Despite this, we did not lose hope and moved to Shehba. We accepted the reality that Afrin had fallen into the hands of the enemy, but we told ourselves: ‘We will build a new life in Shehba.’ There, we constructed our homes and living spaces. However, the enemy attacked again and forced us out of Shehba as well. During our displacement, as we tried to reach the Autonomous Administration-controlled regions, Turkish forces and their gangs subjected us to all kinds of horrific attacks."