The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Workless for more than a year after Turkish decision | Commercial truck drivers in north of Aleppo complain of deteriorating living conditions

After Turkey and its proxy factions took control of the northern countryside of Aleppo, many commercial truck owners began working in areas held by the “Euphrates Shield” and “Olive Branch” factions, in the northern countryside of Aleppo, transporting goods from the border crossings with Turkey. These trucks used for transferring products and goods from Turkey to warehouses and shops in the northern countryside of Aleppo, before Turkey issued a decision in early March 2019, suspending the work of many. According to the Syrian Observatory sources, the decision was to allow Turkish commercial truck go in and out the area to transport goods, and these cars were approved by the dealers. As traders depended on those trucks, Syrian drivers became free of work, which forced many of them to sell their cars and quit working in this field for ever.

 

The sources confirmed that some of the owners of these cars sold them at less than a half of the normal market price, and some of them sold their car’s tires and some parts in order to secure their families’ daily needs, in light of the high cost of essential products. Those drivers see that this procedure was taken by Turkey to fully dominate commercial traffic and benefit more from the commercial crossings.

 

Local sources say that this procedure faced, at that time, a state of great resentment and anger by owners of freight cars, and they called on the concerned authorities there to undo this decision, specially since these drivers, mostly displaced from different regions, rely completely on this profession as their major source of income.

 

Talking about the importance of this work for drivers and owners of commercial trucks, a media activist told the Syrian Observatory “trading between Turkey and the ‘Euphrates Shield’ and ‘Olive Branch’ areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo has created job opportunities for dozens of civilians who own large freight cars, as many of them were contracted with to work in transporting commercial goods. Most of those drivers stopped working with the beginning of the revolution in Syria, due to the security situation and their inability to travel between the governorates, so these opportunities became their major source of income for them, and although all their cars are officially registered and they have full qualifications to continue their work, the procedure by Turkey was explained only as an attempt by Turkey to expand its economic influence in the region. There are no accurate and official statistics on the number of freight cars in the northern countryside of Aleppo, but they range from four to five thousand cars, mostly have stopped working almost completely since early March 2019. The price of one car ranges between 10,000 to 20,000 US dollars. However, some of these cars were sold for less than 5,000 US dollars.

 

The activist referred to the state of anger that prevailed among all those affected by this measure, “until now, attempts are underway to find a solution and an understanding with Turkey and parties concerned with trade, but in vain,” he said.

 

One of the owners of freight cars shared his experience with the Syrian Observatory saying “I had been working in this profession for more than 15 years, as I had been delivering commercial orders to several governorates, including al-Raqqah, Deir Ezzor and al-Hasakah despite the distance, and after displacement in several regions until I have settled in the city of Azaz, I intended to buy a truck as I sold everything he owned before his displacement, with the aim of working on it. I only worked for less than a year in delivering commercial orders from Turkey to Syria, and it was a good source of income. However, I have stopped working more than a year ago as Turkish drivers are leading. I tried to find another job, but I did not manage to find one. This procedure did not affect commercial traffic or traders, it only affected the drivers, and currently, I have offered my car for sale for two months.”

 

It is worth noting that Turkey is trying to put its grip on all life facilities in its areas of control, in the “Euphrates Shield” and “Olive Branch” areas, especially the economic side, and there is a clear dominance of Turkish companies at the expense of the Syrian people.