WATCH: Kurdistan Parliament delegation arrives in Afrin, delivers aid to civilians

AFRIN, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Delegates from the Kurdistan Region’s Parliament on Sunday evening arrived in the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) and were welcomed by people and Kurdish officials in the region.

The purpose of the visit is to help supply medical aid to local hospitals and assess the situation which is continuously evolving.

The delegates are Ali Halo from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Abbas Fatah from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Sherko Hama-Amin from Gorran (Change), Abu Karwan from the Communist Party of Kurdistan, and Sohrab Mikael from the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU).

In a welcoming ceremony, the delegates were greeted by Kurdish officials and civilians in Afrin’s Square of Martyrs.

The Afrin Canton Executive Council Co-presidents, Osman Sheikh Issa and Hevi Mustafa, warmly welcomed their delegation, adding that their visit made the embargoed Kurds “proud,” and that it served Kurdish “national unity.” 

“The people of Afrin, with their loyalty and strength, can combat any country in the world, including those using advanced and modern military technology. With their might, they registered another victory to go into the pages of Kurdish history,” Ali Halo told Kurdistan 24 Correspondent Akram Salih in Afrin.

Asia Abdullah, co-chair of the ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD), told Kurdistan 24 that, “the visit by members of the Kurdistan Parliament sent an important message to the people of Afrin and all people of Kurdistan. We welcome them and send our greetings to all people of the Kurdistan Region. Today, Afrin’s resistance against the occupation of Turkey and their rebels is fierce. The assault on Afrin is an assault on the people of Kurdistan, and Afrin’s victory will be that of all of Kurdistan.”

The Kurdistan Parliament on Jan. 30 held a special session on the Turkish military operation in Afrin. As a result of the meeting, the Parliament elected to send humanitarian assistance to people and civilians affected by the conflict and opened the Pesh Khabur border crossing with Rojava to facilitate the shipment of aid.

The Kurdish lawmakers’ trip to Afrin came as the operation entered into its fourth week.

On Jan. 20, Turkey began an air and ground offensive in Rojava, targeting the US-backed Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and their all-female brigade, the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), in the Afrin region.

Turkey brands the YPG/YPJ and ruling PYD as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU, and the US.

Editing by Nadia Riva

(Additional reporting by Akram Salih from Afrin)