“Olive Branch” areas in 2021 | Nearly 1,200 human rights violations…over 50 explosions and factional infightings…nearly 130 fatalities in acts of violence…ongoing demographic change

Since Turkish forces and their proxy factions captured several areas in north-western Aleppo, namely Afrin canton, after a military operation known as “Olive Branch”, humanitarian crises have been emerging and worsening gradually, with violations, attacks and explosions occur almost daily. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked prominent developments and gross violations in these areas in 2021, which can be summarised in the following main points:

Acts of violence leaves scores of fatalities

In 2021, SOHR has documented the death of 129 people in areas under the control of Turkish forces and factions operating under the banner of “Olive Branch” operation room in the north-western countryside of Aleppo. A breakdown of fatalities is as follows:

-66 civilians, including 13 children and 15 women:

• 26 civilians, including four children and eight women, were killed in bombardment by artillery shells fired from areas controlled by Kurdish and regime forces.

• 24 civilians, including seven children and five women, were killed in explosions.

• Six civilians, including a woman, died under torture in prisons run by Turkish-backed factions.

• Four civilians, including two children and a woman, were murdered.

• Three men were killed in unknown circumstances.

• Two men were killed by the factions.

• A young man killed himself because of pressure exerted on him by factions which had threatened to hurt his family.

-61 Turkish-backed militiamen:

• 22 militiamen, including three commanders, were killed in explosions.

• 13 militiamen were killed in factional and family fights.

• 11 militiamen were killed in Russian airstrikes.

• 10 militiamen were assassinated by unknown gunmen.

• Four militiamen were killed in bombardment by artillery shells fired from areas controlled by Kurdish and regime forces.

• A militiaman died under torture in Al-Hamza prison.

-Two members of ISIS cells were killed in a security operation by Turkish-backed factions.

Tens of explosions and factional rivalries in light of increasing security chaos

“Olive Branch” areas in Aleppo countryside witnessed 25 explosions in 2021, all caused by detonating IEDs, landmines and booby-trapped vehicles, which killed 46 people: 24 civilians, including seven children, five women, and 22 Turkish-backed militiamen. The explosions also injured nearly 73 people.

The monthly death toll of these explosion is distributed in descending order as follows:

• January: 14

• September: 14

• February: 6

• May: 6

• June: 6

• August: 5

• April: 4

• March: 2

• July: 2

• October: 1

• December: 1

No explosions were documented in November 2021.

Also, in 2021, 26 tribal and family fights and factional rivalries occurred in “Olive Branch” areas, which left 13 Turkish-backed militiamen dead and 31 other people, including civilians, injured. Here is a descending monthly distribution of these fights:

• November: 5

• April: 3

• September: 3

• October:3

• January: 2

• March: 2

• June: 2

• July: 2

• August: 2

• February: 1

• May: 1

No fights or rivalries were documented in December 2021.

1,191 human rights violations and ongoing sabotage of Syria’s civilisational heritage

As Turkish-backed factions have been stepping up their daily violations against the people of Afrin canton who have chosen to stay in their areas over displacement, SOHR has documented the arrest and kidnap of over 726 civilians, including 185 women and four children, in 2021. Nearly 477 people were released after paying money/levies in Turkish lira and US dollar, while the rest remained in the factions’ custody.

The monthly distribution of the arrests and kidnappings, all documented by SOHR, in a descending order is as follows:

• November: 122

• August: 118

• October: 83

• January: 77

• March: 64

• February: 56

• May: 44

• June: 41

• September: 36

• December: 35

• April: 28

• July: 22

Besides, SOHR has documented over 465 other violations which are distributed as follows:

• 168 incidents of seizure of houses and shops by members and commanders of Turkish-backed factions in Afrin city and affiliated districts. The seized houses belonged to people who have forced to displace from Afrin canton due to the “Olive Branch” operation.

• 113 incidents of seizure of farmlands belonging to displaced people from Afrin city and affiliated districts.

• 78 incidents of selling displaced people’s houses which had been seized earlier by Turkish-backed factions by force. The houses were sold at low prices and in US dollar in particular.

• 106 incidents of imposition of levies on civilians by the factions and local councils in return for allowing them to cultivate their land and harvest crops. The requested levies were shares of the harvest and profits or sums of money paid in US dollar and Turkish lira.

Moreover, the factions sabotaged civilian properties, where they felled tens of thousands of fruit-bearing trees and sold them as fire logs. On the other hand, Turkish-backed factions continued excavation work and digging in archaeological hills, searching for buried artifacts and antiques. In 2021, SOHR sources reported that Turkish-backed factions continued digging and excavation work on “Qah Waqah” hill on the road to Raju town in Afrin countryside. It is worth noting that the hill was excavated and artifacts were found and looted in mid 2019. However, the Turkish-backed factions returned to excavate the archaeological hill again, searching for remaining artifacts thought to be buried there.

In Afrin city, however, “Deir Sawan” hill in Sharran district, registered by the Syrian Antiquities Directorate in 1981 under Resolution No. 244 | A, was dug and excavated by the Ankara-backed factions. According to recently captured photos of the site, digging and systematic destruction of that hill could be obviously seen at Al-Akrobol peak until the slope, where heavy diggers and earth-moving machineries continued digging, searching for antiquities in full view of Turkish forces.

Meanwhile, the hill in the south of Jendires district was excavated and destroyed by Turkish forces stationed over the hill, after turning it into a military based since they captured Afrin canton. Satellite photos showed the continuous digging and sabotage of the that hill by heavy machines for the purpose of expanding the base and treasure looting, as well as destroying the warehouses of the German-Syrian mission, as they completely levelled the whole area after stealing the tools used by the archaeological missions that were searching for monuments.

Since the factions of the Turkey-backed National Army captured Afrin canton in March 2018, the looting of several archaeological sites has occurred throughout Afrin.

Systematic demographic change

As SOHR has been all along warning against demographic change in Afrin city and surrounding districts, the systematic practices and efforts by Turkish forces and their proxy factions in 2021 reflected their intention to change the demography of the canton. In mid-April, the Kuwaiti-backed “Sham Al-Khair Charity” constructed a housing association called “Kuwait Al-Rahma” in a village in Shirawa district in Afrin countryside, under direct supervision by the “Civil Council” in Afrin. The construction of housing continued in a complex that included nearly 300 houses, a mosque, a clinic, a school and a Koranic institute with the aim of housing displaced people from various Syrian areas.

Similarly, in May, the Syrian Observatory reported that a charitable association called “Basma” was working on building a residential village in Shadir village in Sherawa countryside (Jabal Laylon) in Afrin countryside. The association aimed to construct 12 residential blocks of 144 apartments, in the first phase, for settling families affiliated to pro-Turkey factions, especially “Turkmen” factions.

The village was built with support by the Kuwaiti-backed association of the “White Hands”, and it included three-story-style blocks with each floor containing four apartments, in addition to building a mosque and a health centre. The project also provided supplies of drinking water, electricity, road and sewage networks.

In the first third of 2021, the Turkish forces and their proxy factions started the establishment of seven model villages for settling displaced people from other Syrian provinces. The new villages were built by Turkish organisations, like the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and other Gulf countries. These villages are located in southern Shadirrah village, Sheikh Mohammed Mountain northern Kafr Safrah- Jindires, Ligah area between the two villages of Karmatlaq and Jiqla Tahtani, Shie/Shiekh Al-Hadid near the hospital, and another mountainous site near the village of Hag Hasna- Jindires, and another site near the village of “Khalta”-Shirawa).

Similarly, on August 30, the local council in Afrin city opened a new village dubbed “Kuwait Al-Rahma” with the aim for housing displaced people from various areas across Syria. This development comes as a part of the Turkish government’s efforts to accomplish its demographic change project in Afrin canton through allowing and supporting civil organisations and bodies to structure residential units in the towns and villages whose indigenous residents were displaced, after their houses had been destroyed by the “Olive Branch” Operation which took place in the villages and towns of Afrin.

The recently-established village, “Kuwait Al-Rahma”, was located between Qibar and Al-Khalidiyyah villages in Shirawa district in Afrin countryside, while the land where the residential units were established belonged to Yazidi civilians. The village, which was established by a Kuwaiti-Palestinian association known as “Sham Al-Khair” with the participation of some Turkish organisations operating in north Syria region, also accommodated nearly 380 residential units, a mosque, a school, a clinic, a Koranic institute and a shopping mall.

Also, on October 6, the “White Hands Charity”, with co-operation with the Palestinian organisation “Live with Dignity”, opened “Basma” village near Dayrah village in Shirawa district in Afrin countryside. The new village was funded by several associations and charities, including the Kuwaiti Sheikh Abdullah Al Nouri Charity Society, the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs of Kuwait, the International Islamic Charity Organisation, the Qatari charity society of “Rohamaa Baynahom”, the Kuwaiti Zakat House, the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, the Charity Committee of Al-Eslah Society, the Kuwaiti Al-Najat Charity and the Kuwaiti Campaign for Sham Victory and Support. The new village includes eight residential blocks with 96 45-square-meter apartments, and other services and facilities, including a mosque, a school, a medical centre and headquarters of the village’s administration.

It seems that violations in “Olive Branch” areas will not stop as long as Turkish forces and their proxies keep breaching all international laws and charters, while no party or international or regional player is exhibiting any willingness to put an end to these “grave” violations, despite SOHR repeated warnings about the dreadful humanitarian situation in the region.

The Syrian Observatory would like to point out that all information and figures mentioned in this report have been documented and updated until the date of publication.