Briefing on the crimes and violations of the Turkish state in the Syrian Afrin region from 1/20/2018 until the end of October 2023
On the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the occupation of the Afrin region by the Turkish state and its mercenaries on 1/20/2018, we would like to once again bring attention to the human rights violations and occupation carried out by the Turkish state in Afrin. We have collected and analyzed data on violations of human rights in Afrin and Al-Shahba. Our evaluation of the situation in the region has revealed alarming numbers that highlight the occupation and brutality of the Turkish state, including instances of killing, stealing, looting, kidnapping, and raping women. In this study, we obtained accurate information primarily from the Human Rights Organization (Afrin – Syria in the Al-Shahba region). Despite the Turkish State providing various justifications for occupying Afrin, the underlying motives were to kill the local population (especially Kurds) and exploit the land’s resources. Consequently, thousands of individuals were forced to leave their homes and communities.
The Turkish occupation military forces, along with armed groups loyal to them, launched the so-called “Olive Branch” operation in the Afrin region on 1/20/2018. This operation saw the use of various air and ground weapons, including internationally prohibited ones, resulting in severe consequences for the Kurdish community and other peoples in the area. Innocent civilians, including many children, women, and the elderly, suffered greatly, with many killed or wounded. The operation also led to a mass forced displacement of the indigenous population, with many ending up in displacement areas in the Tal Rifaat camps (Al-Shahba) and others moving to different Syrian regions. The remaining Kurds in Afrin do not exceed 193,000. They are facing increasing chaos and danger while the occupier prepared the ground for crimes to proliferate. These crimes include random murder and kidnapping in secret detention centers, theft, looting, armed robbery, imposing royalties and ransom, cutting down and burning trees, and seizing public and private property by thieves and gangs. Militia members and armed settlers are also promoting drugs and prostitution, while fighting the Kurds for a living due to the lack of job opportunities and the high prices of basic food. Their intention is to force the Kurds to leave and abandon their property to the armed occupiers and settlers.
Many human rights violations were perpetrated against the indigenous Kurdish population in a calculated fashion, such as genocide, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement. In an effort to alter the demographics of the region, Turkish and Arab population have been settled in the area, while cultural and historical sites have been destroyed. Many individuals, including children, lost their lives. Countless women were subjected to rape. Gangs and mercenaries unlawfully took over thousands of properties and homes from the native inhabitants of Afrin. The crimes committed were numerous and varied, including killing, detention, forced disappearance, torture, seizure of public and private property, and sexual violence in all forms. Furthermore, there was destruction of archaeological sites, warehouses, and religious shrines used by various religions. Additionally, multiple cemeteries were bulldozed, with one being converted into a livestock market. The ongoing brutal acts in Afrin today, carried out by mercenary groups and factions directly linked to the Turkish state, are in clear violation of international human rights standards. These groups continue to attack civilians, resulting in deaths, kidnappings, imprisonment, torture, theft, robbery, and brutalization. The original inhabitants of Afrin who still reside there are facing these atrocities on a daily basis.
The displacement of people from Afrin has been further exacerbated by violations and crimes, particularly in the Tal Rifaat area, its camps, and neighboring villages. These areas have been the site of conflicts and wars, and have fallen under the control of armed factions and ISIS. As a result, much of the infrastructure, facilities, and homes have been destroyed, rendering them uninhabitable. Despite this, displaced Afrin refugees still live in these areas, which continue to be targeted.
Almost daily, the Syrian National Army has been responsible for numerous massacres resulting in the deaths and injuries of dozens of civilians. One such tragic event took place in Tal Rifaat on 12/2/2019, when ten people, including eight children, lost their lives and sixteen others were wounded. Another episode was the Aqiba massacre, where an entire family of Afrin refugees, consisting of three individuals, fell victim – including an 11-year-old girl. Sadly, these horrors were compounded by a devastating earthquake that struck several cities in Syria and Turkey, most notably Jindires on Monday the 6th of February 2023. This earthquake resulted in hundreds of fatalities, injuries, and widespread destruction of buildings while inhabitants were inside. To add to the Kurdish residents’ woes, they faced mistreatment at the hands of the factions of the “Syrian National Army” supported by Turkey and the settlers in the area, who even resorted to stealing aid meant for the victims. Humanitarian aid, provided by charitable organizations and societies, was being seized by force and Kurdish citizens were being deprived of this aid under the watchful eye of Turkish state authorities. Despite the entry of delegations and international organizations into the region (World Health, UNICEF and others), the situation has not improved but rather worsened. Most of the residents of the Jindires area have set up tents on the ruins of their destroyed homes out of fear of theft. An example of this is a Kurdish family who were victims of a massacre by members of the National Army factions on 3/20/2023. Four members of the family were killed in cold blood because one of their sons lit the Newroz fire, a symbol of a holiday celebrated by many peoples around the world. This heinous crime happened in front of the entire world, with no accountability for the perpetrators.
1. Demographic change:
Demographic change in international law refers to the alteration in the structure and population size of a specific geographical area as a result of intentional actions and practices by a group towards individuals who lose their agency during this process. This kind of demographic change can only occur through coercive measures, such as forced population transfers from one location to another in order to replace them with a different group of people. This type of situation is known as “forced displacement,” which falls under the categories of war crimes and genocide. Examples include the implementation of racist and chauvinistic settlement projects, the displacement of the Kurdish indigenous population from their homeland and their confinement in distant camps, as well as the use of Kurdish citizens as human shields by the regime’s supporters. Syrian-Iranian forces have been accused of exploiting Kurdish citizens in wars, trading their lives, and even abducting their children, all of which are considered crimes against humanity according to both international law and international humanitarian law. Forced displacement occurs in two ways:
1. Direct: by deporting people by force from their areas
2. Indirect: by using means of persecution and pressure on the population and pushing them to migrate (Articles 6,7 and 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court of 1998)
Upon examining the situation during the rule of the Syrian regime, it becomes evident that they were the pioneers in carrying out demographic changes by relocating individuals from various parts of Syria to Kurdish-majority regions, where they remain to this day. As a result of this displacement, Afrin alone saw around 200 thousand residents arriving from Aleppo and its surrounding areas. Some of these newcomers even played a role in directing armed groups against Kurdish inhabitants, aiming to take their possessions and holding them captive for ransom. Following the entrance of Turkish forces into Kurdish territories, we observe similar practices being enforced, with thousands of Kurds forcefully displaced from Afrin and those who remain facing pressure to vacate their lands. However, after the Turkish occupation forces entered the Kurdish areas, we find that the aforementioned articles are fully implemented, and thousands of Kurdish citizens have been forcibly displaced from the Afrin region, and those remaining on their land are being pressured and forced to leave.
Prior to the war, Afrin was predominantly Kurdish, accounting for 90% of the population. However, as of May 2021, the demographic makeup has shifted significantly and the majority of the population is now Arabic. This change was a result of the Turkish government allowing their backed fighters and their families, as well as internally displaced individuals, many of whom are Arabic, to loot and seize Kurdish homes in Afrin. Here we must underline that the Syrian regime used to exploit Kurdish people by placing them in camps far from their homes contributing fundamentally to the process of forced displacement. Across various Kurdish regions including Seri Kaniye, Afrin, Al-Bab, Manbij, Jarabulus, Kobani, Qamishlo, Al-Hasakah, and Raqqa, the displacement toll has been staggering. Nearly a million individuals have been displaced, with 800,000 of Kurdish descent and 200,000 from other ethnic and sectarian backgrounds, particularly Yazidis and Christians such as Arabs, Assyrians, and Chaldeans.
The changes taking place in Afrin aim to transform the multicultural and multilingual region into one where only the Turkish identity is visible. This is being done by renaming streets, squares, public buildings, hospitals, and even raising Turkish flags above schools and public facilities. For example, Azadi Square is now Ataturk Square, Newroz Roundabout is now Salah al-Din Roundabout, and the National Roundabout has been renamed March 18 Roundabout. Villages have also undergone name changes, such as Qastal Miqdad becoming Selcuk Obasi, Kutana becoming Zafer Obasi, and Karzila becoming Jaafar Obasi. These changes serve as a reference to the history of the Turkish State, a history marked by violations of rights and occupation of lands beyond their borders. Each new name and date attached to these changes reinforces this connection, rewriting the narrative of the region to align with Turkish history.
2. Spreading extremist religious thought in the name of Islam:
The Turkish occupation forces are aggressively promoting extremist religious centers – takfiris – and Sharia schools in the name of Islam. They are also welcoming fundamentalists from around the world and settling them in Kurdish-controlled areas (Afrin, Sere Kaniye, Girê Spî, Al-Bab). Propaganda especially targets school children, persuading them to attend these schools by distributing toys and clothing and enforcing a specific dress code for female students. Kurdish clerics and imams have been removed from their positions and replaced with criminals and fundamentalist sympathizers. The takfiris are issuing dangerous fatwas, encouraging acts of theft, murder, and adultery by promising entry into Paradise.
3. Stealing, robbing, plundering, confiscating belongings, armed theft, and assault:
Kurdish citizens in the Afrin region experience daily theft, robbery, looting, and armed stealing in their homes. Property including cash, furniture, food, utensils, and electrical tools are stolen by militia members. Turkish occupation forces allow these crimes to occur, often with the support and guidance of Turkish intelligence. The past three years have seen a rise in assaults and murders, particularly targeting elderly civilians, with over 15 cases of elderly civilians being killed.
Armed settlers and bands, with support from the Turkish occupation government, are currently taking control of the olive fields owned by forcibly displaced individuals in the Al-Shahba region and other areas. This is happening despite legal agreements that were previously made for managing and protecting these properties by their relatives through local councils, who had paid significant amounts of money for this purpose. It is estimated that millions of trees have been seized, and farmers in these villages are being charged royalties. Additionally, houses are being seized and either rented out to members of the occupying forces or sold under fraudulent contracts, in a scheme aimed at deceiving the residents.
4. Cutting and burning fruit and forest trees:
The Turkish occupation government has been committing crimes against vegetation by cutting down various species of fruit trees and forests for firewood ever since it entered the Afrin region with armed militia members and settlers. This was done in order to fight the Kurds through their source of livelihood, as agriculture is vital for economic stability. These actions were aimed at forcing the local population to abandon their property and lands, allowing Arab and Turkish settlers brought in by the Turkish government to take control.
A staggering number of trees were destroyed in the region, with over 670 thousand olive trees, some as old as 60-80 years, being cut down. Additionally, nearly 150 thousand fruit trees such as pomegranates, apples, berries, peaches, walnuts, figs, and cherries were lost, along with approximately 730 thousand forest trees including oaks, plane trees, cypresses, and pine.
These violations also impacted olive and other forest trees, leading to the burning of more than a third of the agricultural land in Afrin since the region was taken over. Thousands of trees were burnt in the forests, all in order to facilitate the trade of firewood and charcoal. Many homes of displaced residents of Afrin were taken over, with dozens converted into prisons, detention centers, and security headquarters for mercenaries, who bought and sold these properties.
5. Damaging archaeological sites:
Throughout history, various ethnic groups and peoples have vied for control over the Afrin region. Its strategic location along trade routes, including the Silk Road stretching from China to the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the Orient Express train connecting the Caucasus to the Arabian Peninsula, has made it a target for colonial invasions. The Turkish government has sought to revive the glory of past empires like the Ottoman Sultans and the Anatolian Seljuks through their expansionist ambitions, as seen in their proposal of the Missaq-i-Milli oath following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I.
Since the Turkish occupation forces entered the Afrin region in March 2018, the Turkish government has been systematically altering the cultural landmarks and urban features of archaeological sites and religious shrines. They have implemented features indicating the Ottomanization of the region, including changing archaeological sites and conducting excavations. This has resulted in the destruction of many archaeologically significant places, with the sabotage and bulldozing of archaeological hills to search for artifacts. These artifacts are then stolen and smuggled out of Syrian territory, where they are sold on the global black market. This erases the historical and cultural memory of the region and disrupts the geological layers of archaeological sites, leading to the loss of documents chronicling the history of the Kurdish people in the area for centuries. In addition, the Turkish government has destroyed a shrine and cemetery belonging to the Yazidi religion in the Afrin region.
6. Kidnapping operations:
The whereabouts of over 950 men and women from Afrin remain uncertain after Turkish occupation forces, accompanied by their armed militias, entered the region in March 2018. More than 9,186 individuals have been abducted, with over 1,000 of them being women. These kidnappings have occurred continuously, often on false charges and pretexts, with the intention of financial extortion and ransom collection. Tragically, many civilians have also been killed under torture, as reported by witnesses. Furthermore, over 100 individuals were repatriated to Turkish soil after being delivered to Turkish authorities by various armed groups, military and civilian law enforcement officers, to face legal proceedings under Turkish jurisdiction. The significant quantity of individuals taken captive in the Afrin area are divided across numerous military and civilian detention facilities, along with covert holding sites located throughout Afrin city and several surrounding villages and towns, totaling more than 20 prisons operated by armed factions.
Armed gangs linked to Turkish intelligence have been operating in the midst of chaos and insecurity, focusing on kidnapping children in the years 2019 and 2020. They target children as they come back from school or public markets, intending to traffic their organs and sell them in Turkey. The Afrin-Syria Human Rights Organization in Al-Shahba has documented over a hundred cases of survivors who were abducted and held in prisons by factions allied with the mercenaries. Many of these survivors have escaped to displacement camps or Aleppo with the help of smugglers. These cases have been shared with international investigations, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Amnesty International. They are also being shared with the United Nations Torture Victims Support Project through the Syrians for Truth and Justice organization, following international protocols.
7. The huge settlement projects carried out by Erdogan in the Afrin region:
Turkey is deceiving public opinion with explicit propaganda about building housing for displaced people fleeing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. However, those familiar with the construction methods and process of these settlements see them as controlled areas by Turkey. Turkish schools, mosques, and pro-Turkish imams are appointed to promote Turkish culture and propaganda in these settlements. Furthermore, the Turkish governors oversee the opening of these settlements, which are closely monitored by their security services for strict security measures. The management is then entrusted to individuals who are either Turkish citizens or have pro-Turkish affiliations. Within these camps, the organizations sponsor jihadist activities, housing predominantly families of mercenaries who were enlisted by Turkey in Libya and Azerbaijan. Additionally, there are Al-Qaeda members of Turkish descent present, including Uzbeks and Uyghurs.
The plan consists of 10 large settlements, capable of housing 30,000 people each, as well as 140 villages, able to accommodate 5,000 people each. In addition to housing, each village will have two mosques, two schools with 16 classrooms, a youth center, and an indoor gymnasium. Each of the towns will be comprised of 6,000 houses, with 3-4 rooms and an average area of 100 square meters. Additionally, the town will feature a large mosque in its center, as well as 10 other mosques spread throughout the neighborhoods. There will be 8 schools, each with 16 classrooms, a gymnasium, 5 youth centers, a big football field, and 4 small football fields. Each neighborhood will also have social facilities and a small industrial complex. Furthermore, two cities will have hospitals with 200 beds, while 8 other cities will have clinics with 10 beds. The total area of residential villages and towns is estimated to be 92.6 million square meters, and approximately 140 million square meters of agricultural land will be distributed to village residents. The “safe zone” is expected to have a total of 200,000 housing units, with a project budget of around 27 billion dollars funded by foreign sources.
According to the Afrin Human Right association, the names of the associations supporting the policy of demographic change and settlement construction are as follows: Turkish White Hands Association; Al-Ihsan Society for Relief and Development, Türkiye; Qatar Society for Giving Without Borders; Kuwait International Charitable Society for Development; Living with Dignity Association (Palestine); Sheikh Abdullah bin Al-Nouri Kuwaiti Charitable Society; Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in the State of Kuwait; Al-Islah Society and the Bahraini Charitable Work Committee; Turkish IHH Association; Palestinian Arab Forum; The Qatari Society for the Rehabilitation of People with Special Needs; Qatar Red Crescent; Islamic Dawa Organization; Qatari Gifts Association; Charitable Work Regulatory Authority in Qatar; Qatar Cancer Society; Bahraini Society for the Preservation of Grace; Palestinian Arabs 48; Al-Sham Charitable Association; Turkish Religious Endowment (Diyanet); Al-Bayan Qatari Society; Restoring Hope for Widows Organization; The Brotherhood Without Borders Foundation with a Brotherhood background; Al-Bunyan Qatari-Turkish Association.
8. Bombings and attacks
In recent times, there has been a noticeable increase in explosive bombings in the Afrin region, leading to widespread chaos and heightened security worries. These attacks, executed through a range of methods including explosive devices, car bombs, and motorcycles, have led to casualties, injuries, and extensive destruction to residential areas, businesses, and local markets. The emotional toll on the Kurdish community and the general public is significant. Additionally, the Turkish occupying forces are actively targeting regions under the control of the Syrian regime, particularly areas where displaced Kurds have taken refuge such as the Al-Shahba area and nearby villages.
Rocket and artillery shells are sporadically launched towards the villages and towns inhabited by Syrian regime loyalists of the Arab component (Nubul and Al-Zahra), coinciding with their demonstrations and protests in the Al-Shahba areas. They are demanding to return to their villages, improvements to their economic conditions, to be able to secure their livelihood through the provision of basic foodstuffs and fuel, and to open roads for them to reach Aleppo city.
Statistics of violations from the beginning of the occupation until 3/15/2024
1- Kidnapping: More than 9,186 people were kidnapped, including more than 1,000 women
2- Murder: More than 693 people were killed, including 97 people under torture and 104 women, including 11 cases of suicide and 74 cases of sexual assault.
3- Trees: Cutting down more than 400 thousand fruit and forest trees, burning more than 15 thousand fruit trees, burning thousands of forest trees, and burning more than a third of the area allocated for agriculture.
4- Settlements: Building more than 30 settlements and camps in the areas of Afrin
5- Antiquities: exhuming and destroying more than 75 archaeological mounds, more than 59 sites, more than 28 religious shrines, and exhuming graves.
