'When they come, they will kill you': Ethnic cleansing is already a reality in Turkey's Syrian safe

[icymist]

‘When they come, they will kill you’: Ethnic cleansing is already a reality in Turkey’s Syrian safe zone
...Videos posted online by soldiers of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) – showing summary executions, mutilation of corpses, threats against Kurds and widespread looting – have struck terror into the tens of thousands who find themselves in the path of the offensive.

The ethnic dimension to many of the crimes has resulted in a mass exodus of Kurds and religious minorities from these once diverse borderlands.

Now, stranded in displacement camps across northeast Syria and in neighbouring Iraq, they fear they may never be able to return home. And that, they believe, was precisely the point.

<snip>
“The people most suitable for that area are the Arabs. These areas are not suitable for the lifestyle of the Kurds,” he said.

When pressed by the interviewer to explain why they were not suitable, he replied: “Because these are desert regions.”

This has led some experts to conclude that Turkey is indeed aiming to “Arabise” the land it has captured, and raised the prospect of ethnic cleansing by a Nato power.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/turkey-syria-safe-zone-ethnic-cleansing-death-toll-sna-a9225896.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1575100411

[Turbineguy]

1. Another one of Trump's legacies.

Although he does get a lot of help.

[Igel]

5. It's a page out of Saddam Hussein's book.

And it worked out well for the Arabs. Against the Kurds. In the years after Halabja and before 2003. Lots of Arabs moved into Kurdish areas, tipping the balance towards majority Arab. Esp. where there were oil fields or cities. Oddly, Saddam moved a fair number of Shi'ites to those areas, both weakening the Kurdish areas and dispersing Shi'ite dissidents against his rule. A twofer.

This, of course, was a page out of Stalin's book. I say that only because we know Saddam was a big admirer of Stalin. On the other hand, maybe they both got it from a common source.

Because this was a page Stalin had copied from various other sources--the Ottoman Empire being chief among them.

They all believed in ethnic cleansing. The Turks have practiced it for hundreds of years when it comes to unreliable territories. Turks were loyal to Turks, Kurds thought they wanted somebody like themselves in charge, that makes for instability and weakness in border regions (or areas that are highly productive and desirable), so you see the problem?

Then again, the Assyrians and Babylonians did the same thing for the same reason, so it has a long, very long distinguished history in the area.

[dewsgirl]

2. There just aren't enough words anymore.😭

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Disgusting.

Wait until this spills into Lebanon. This is going to get so much worse until the EU fucking steps up! America is out of the running because of the POS in the WH. Russia is about to take back control of the Middle East.

[calimary]

4. Horrible.

Just reprehensible.