Christians flee “soft ethnic cleansing” in Syria
4 November 2019
Pro-Turkish forces are reportedly carrying out a “soft ethnic cleansing” of Christians in north-east Syria by terrorising them into fleeing, despite assurances from Turkey’s President Erdogan that his forces would not persecute religious minorities.
Syrian armed groups allied with Turkey are preventing Christians from accessing their land during the current cotton harvest.
“We were told, ‘We have orders not to physically touch the Christians but know that you have no land here anymore’,” said Ishak of the Syrian Democratic Council.
He said the armed groups are “repeating what they did in Afrin”, referring to the Turkish invasion in 2018, backed by Syrian rebels and Islamist extremists. “In Afrin, they took the harvest of the Kurds who lived there and now they are doing it to the Christians. The Christians then ask why should they stay and live under the Islamists.” said Ishak.