After invading Syria’s Afrin resided mainly by Kurds, Turkey conducts a policy of Turkishization of the local population, mentioned Turkologist Taron Hovhannisyan in the press conference at “Tesaket” media club.
“The children are sent to schools with Turkish flags and slogans “the war is over”. This is a rather serious policy by Erdogan, a policy of Turkishization. Besides, they try to resettle the Syrian refugees of Turkey in Afrin,” informed the expert.
As estimated by him, because of the mentioned policy Turkey pursues, the Kurds will not make a majority in Afrin any longer: “By controlling the educational system, Turkey will form a generation which will be subject to it in the future. If a Syrian statehood is formed in the future, a population loyal to the Turkish authority will be living in Afrin. Even if Turkey draws back its troops from Afrin one day, those territories will remain as an influence zone.”
Turkologist Sona Sukiasyan added that Turkey uses also the factor of Islam in the policy of subjecting Afrin to it: “Turkey sends religious actors to Afrin.”
Sona Sukiasyan noticed that Turkish side has announced it is going to continue military operations in Syrian territories where Kurdish forces exist: “This presupposes that Turkey is going to reach Syria-Iraq border, and some cities of those areas, particularly Qamishli, are resided by Armenians as well. If the actions of the Turkish armed forces proceed to reach the Iraqi border, Armenian community will face up to serious problems.”
The expert stated Aleppo is also under threat. A certain number of Armenians have returned to live there.
Luiza SUKIASYAN
