Learning resumes in Syria's liberated Afrin

By Omer Koparan and Adham Kako

AFRIN, Syria

Learning resumed at schools in Syria's northwestern Afrin district center, which was recently liberated from terrorists during Turkey's Operation Olive Branch.

YPG/PKK terrorists shut schools in the district center, even though no armed clashes were reported during the counter-terror operation.

After Afrin was liberated in March, a large number of people returned to their homes and life returned to normalcy.

Through Turkey's support in the region, education activities jumpstarted.

Al-Ittihad School, with a strength of 450-500 students, is providing accelerated courses for secondary and high school levels since a week, to make up for the lost time.

Abdo Nebhen, in charge of Afrin's district education office and deputy speaker of the local parliament, told Anadolu Agency that they are providing accelerated education to around 500 pupils.

Nebhen said Syrian teachers were volunteering in the classes.

"We cannot say education was absent in Afrin, however, PYD was using schools to realize its political goals. It made Kurdish compulsory. It abolished religious lessons and instead brought ideologies that the group advocates," he said.

The PYD and its military wing YPG are Syrian branches of the PKK terrorist network, which has waged war against Turkey for more than 30 years.

thanked Turkey for lending support to education in Afrin.

One of the pupils, Sare Ahmet, 15, said she is happy to return to her school.

She requested the continuation of support from officials.

"We want to secure our future. They should support us on this issue," she said.

On March 18, Turkish-backed troops liberated the town center of Afrin, which had been a major hideout for the YPG/PKK terror group since 2012.

This January, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, northern Syria to clear terrorist groups from the area. After liberating the city of Afrin, Ankara said it might also extend its operation further east to unless the YPG/PKK terrorist group leaves the strategically located city.