RONÎDA HACÎ

Hasakah- The ongoing attacks of the Turkish state and Turkish-backed armed groups on North and East Syria have displaced thousands of Kurdish, Arab, Syriac, Armenian and Yazidi people. In the Washokani camp, an informal internally displaced person (IDP) camp in Hasakah, have resisted the difficult living conditions for six years, demanding the Turkish state be held accountable for its war crimes.

 ‘They must be held accountable’

“The Turkish state has violated human rights,” said Hesîna Mihemed, a displaced Arab woman in the camp. “We used to live in Serêkanîyê (Ras al-Ayn), having our own business, agricultural land and house. However, the Turkish state launched attacks on our homeland by using its warplanes, heavy and prohibited weapons. We had to leave our homeland to protect our children and ourselves from the atrocity of the Turkish state. We have resisted difficult living conditions in the camp for six years. Our properties have been usurped, our children have been killed and thousands of people have been displaced. We do not want war but peace to return to our city. We call on international human rights organizations to bring the Turkish state to account for its rights violations.”

 ‘The President of the Turkish State must be prosecuted’

“The history of the Turkish state is full of massacres and displacements,” emphasized Fatma Emîn, a displaced Kurdish woman in the camp. “The Turkish state has attacked all nationalities. We had property in Serêkanîyê but now we live in a tent. If there are human rights on this planet, the President of the occupying Turkish state must be prosecuted. The Turkish state must be held accountable for committing massacres against civilians. We will never forget what we have experienced and keep resisting all difficult living conditions to the end.”

‘We want to have a peaceful life’

Nêvin Xabûr, a Yazidi woman displaced from Serêkanîyê along with her family, recalled the attacks of ISIS on Shengal (Sinjar). “Daesh committed a genocide against the Yazidi community with the support of the occupying Turkish state. The Turkish state attacked Afrin, Serêkanîyê and Shahba. We want to hold the Turkish state accountable because it has violated our rights. We have the right to live in peace in our homeland; however, our right to live in peace has been violated by the Turkish state. We face difficult living conditions in the camp. I call on organizations defending children’s human rights to bring the Turkish state to account. All we want is to return to our homeland and have a peaceful life there.”