Hêlîn Asmîn

 

ŞEHBA - Kongreya Star Coordination Member Fatma Silêman spoke regarding the abduction of women in Afrin by paramilitary groups affiliated with Turkey. Fatma said that the democratic nation project with conscious and organized women is targeted.

 

Violence, torture, and abduction against women have continued since Turkey and the paramilitary groups it supports entered Afrin on March 18, 2018. Lastly, 14 civilians, two of them women, were abducted in the village of Îskayê in Cindirêsê. Fatma Silêman, a member of the Afrin Region Kongreya Star Coordination, spoke to JINNEWS regarding the abductions against women. Fatma said that women empowered by the perspective of democratic nation afraid Turkey and the paramilitary groups it supports.

 

‘The enemy afraids from the power of women’

 

Mentioning the process before Turkey and the paramilitary groups it supported entered Afrin, Fatma said, ‘’Before the occupant Turkish state attacked Afrin Canton, our people were living in peace on their own land. Women were strongly organized. Women’s studies were gradually developing. Women played an important role in every field. Because they had largely established their organizing by educating themselves. She also had an important role in the diplomatic field. Society resisted the attitude that did not accept women and all kinds of difficulties and seek their rights. The society proved itself against imposed slavery. The level of awareness among women in Afrin has improved considerably. When the enemy saw that the woman is a power, it attacked. It did not accept the power and role of women and attacked Afrin with tanks and artillery. Because the enemy is mainly afraid from the power of women’’.

 

‘Women are targeted in Afrin’

 

‘’The aim of the occupant Turkish state is to destroy the women’s system and thought. That’s why it attacked Afrin. It wants to eliminate the organized power and improvement of women. The purpose of the attack on Afrin was to enslave women once again. Because women became the symbol of freedom. Martyr Avesta, Barîn, and Hevrîn are examples of that. They are aware that women raise their awareness level to the highest level. The enemy is always afraid from women. Because women want to be free and struggle to get their rights. But the enemy always wants the woman to bow down. Because if the woman is enslaved, the society becomes enslaved as well,’’ Fatma said.

 

‘Gangs abducted many civilians’

 

Mentioning to Turkey’s attack in Afrin, Fatma drew attention to the fact that women were abducted and taken to unknown places. Fatma continued, ‘’Now, especially in Afrin, gangs of the Turkish state abduct women and demand ransom every day. Turkish-affiliated gangs abducted thousands of

civilians. Mostly women are abducted and in this way women are wanted to be silenced and enslaved. An example of this is the abduction and killing with the torture of Nemet, who was pregnant. Hundreds of women have been abducted in this way, no news so far’’.

 

‘’The women who empowered with the democratic nation perspective scare Turkey and the gangs it supports. Women, who have awareness, and democratic nation project are targeted,’’ she said.

 

‘We are in the fields until Leader Apo and Afrin are liberated’

 

Stating that they will always resist as women from Afrin, Fatma said, ‘’Many civilians were arrested in Afrin recently. Their purpose was to demand ransom during the olive picking season. They opened the borders for the people of Afrin to pass into the city. Because they want to harm the people and demand ransom from the people of Afrin. The occupant Turkish state is practicing neo-Ottomanism. However, the people organized themselves with the perspective of the democratic nation. After we migrated to Şehba, we formed our organizing here as well. Resistance against the enemy should be enlarged even more. Until Afrin and Leader Apo are liberated, we, as women from Afrin, will resist and be in the fields’’.