Arabic to English Translation*
The treatment of Kurdish residents in the area, both before and after the occupation, has been based on hatred and animosity, under “revolutionary and jihadist” slogans that have no connection to the interests of the Syrian people. These actions only serve Turkey’s hostile policies and agendas, leading to the violation of Kurdish lives and properties. Various political Islam organizations, both civil and military, along with Syrian mercenary militias and opposition political frameworks, have been involved in these actions. Notably, dozens of Islamic organizations registered under humanitarian and relief names in “Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel (Arab 48), Pakistan, the UK, Germany,” and other countries finance and contribute to building settlement villages in Afrin to resettle newcomers, thereby altering its demographic structure according to Ankara’s plan, which it actively supervises.
The Following are Facts about The Prevailing Situation:
= Assaults on Kurdish Civilians:
“Ahmed Shahoud Rashid, known as Haroun Rashid”, the deputy and nephew of the leader of the “Ninth Division” militias, along with some of its members (“Abu Hayat, Ahmed Abu Al-Nouf, Youssef Mayeeki, Ammar Mayeeki, Yasser Mayeeki“), have been assaulting Kurdish civilians in Raju subdistrict with insults and severe beatings:
– Over a month ago, they attacked “Sheiro Salah Othman Mustafa /23/ years old,” from the village of “Mosako,” at the Batman junction near Armout hillside/Raju road – Meydan Akbas, because he did not greet “Haroun Rashid” warmly and responded coldly when he passed by his house in the village. They threatened to kill him if he complained to any authority.
– On May 23, 2024, they chased Sheiro’s brother, “Jwan, /25/ years old,” while he was plowing an olive field near the northern entrance of Raju with a tractor. He fled to the joint security checkpoint of the “Military Police in Raju and the Civil Police,” but the checkpoint elements (mostly from the Ninth Division), along with the person chasing him, assaulted and abducted him and his father, “Salah Othman Mustafa, /50/ years old,” who happened to be passing by the checkpoint at the same time. They were released at night in a deplorable condition with severe torture marks, all because Salah did not provide them with a water tanker, as he was busy with his work.
– On May 23, 2024, they also assaulted “Mohammad Hussein Habash, /45/ years old, known as Mohammad Miri,” from the village of “Kuira,” near the “Mosako” junction north of Raju town, because he did not provide them with a water tanker, being occupied with plowing the fields.
The “Ninth Division” militia habitually forces Kurdish tractor owners in the villages under its control to bring water tankers for them without any payment and without paying for the water taken from wells.
Due to the large number of “Ninth Division” elements in the ranks of the “Military Police in Raju,” they have increasingly perpetrated violations against Kurdish civilians.
= Refusal to Vacate Kurdish Homes in Afrin:
During the past week, several gatherings of settlers occupying the homes of original Kurdish residents in Afrin, since its occupation in 2018, took place in various locations (a mosque, in front of the justice palace, and at the Newrouz roundabout). Most of these settlers are from Eastern Ghouta – near Damascus countryside. These gatherings, documented in videos and audio recordings on social media, expressed their refusal to vacate the homes that the occupation court in Afrin had ruled to return to their rightful owners, many of whom are returning from forced displacement and migration. Participants in these gatherings accused Kurdish judge Newrouz Hisso of issuing “unjust” eviction orders for /150/ homes and blamed of responsibility the Kurdish “Mohammad Sheikh Rashid,” deputy head of the “Afrin Local Council,” accusing them of working for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Their slogans and chants—amidst religious exclamations—were racist and inciting against women and Kurds, by hate speech, threats, and intimidation, degrading their dignity and aiming to demean and expel them, in addition to saying immoral insults against them. This is despite the fact that both individuals work within the Turkish occupation’s institutions established since 2018, with “Newrouz Hisso” serving as a deputy prosecutor under a judiciary supervised by Turkish intelligence, where most decision are made by judges, who are mostly Arab settlers. She is not the judge ruling on eviction cases nor issuing the decisions.
The first gathering took place in a mosque in the city, exploiting its religious symbolism, with “revolutionary and jihadist” slogans justifying the seizure of Kurdish properties.
Additionally, one audio recording confirmed that militias from the Joint Forces of “The Sultan Suleiman Shah Division and the Hamza Division” re-appropriated a house that had been vacated by the “police” under a judicial order, returning it to the previous settler family.
It is worth noting that there are many empty camps capable of housing the settlers if they are evicted from Kurdish homes. Furthermore, many settlers have the means to pay rent but refuse to compensate the Kurdish homeowners.
If a Kurdish house is occupied by an armed member of the “Syrian National Army” militias, the owner cannot demand the house back due to fear of punishment or must pay a large bribe. They cannot file a lawsuit against them in civil court as they are considered “military,” and military courts do not register such cases.
= Two Settlement Villages:
– On May 26, 2024, “Watan Engeneering Construction Company,” operating in Turkish-occupied northern Syria, announced on its Facebook page that it is finalizing “the construction of two residential buildings in Jenderes city for Shams Al-Amal Organization“. Each building consists of three floors, with each floor containing eight apartments, each apartment contains two rooms, kitchen and utilities, with an area of 65 sequare meters per apartment, totaling /48/ apartments for settler families. The project is funded by the “Shams Al-Amal Humanitarian Association – Umut Güneşi İnsani Yardım Derneği,” managed by the so-called “Dr. Khaled Al-Masri,” who communicates with the media from his office in Reyhanli, Turkey, without the association having identifiers on the internet and social media networks.
The buildings were erected on agricultural land around Jenderes after uprooting olive trees.
– According to a North Press report, a local source, and the Facebook page of the Turkish “Lighthouse of The Sea/Daneez Fanary – Deniz Feneri” association, headquartered in Zeytun burnu, Istanbul, construction continues on a model settlement village with /160/ residential homes, infrastructure, and public facilities (school, clinic, mosque, gardens, playgrounds……) in Sharra/Sharan district, that goes by the name of “One Nation/One Ummah” village after the name of the funding association, which is a British Islamic association (One Nation/One Ummah) based in 202 Victoria Road, Middlesbrough, UK.
The village is being built next to two previous settlements of blocks and tents, on approximately /3/ hectares of land that was part of several contiguous artificial forests completely destroyed by the “Sultan Murad Division militias,” located on the road between “Kafaroum and Alakah/Haloubi Sagheer” – villages in Sharra/Sharan.
On May 12, 2024, “Mohammad Jengiz,” director of “Daneez Fanary,” and several board members visited the project. The association had previously opened the “Daneez Fanary” settlement village of /200/ homes, funded by the British “Global Rahmah Foundation (GRF),” on January 23, 2024, near Qazqli shrine in Jenderes.
= Arbitrary Arrests:
Occupation authorities have detained:
– Three weeks ago, the citizen “Rezan Bozan Hassan, /20/ years old” from “Kusa” village, Raju, by “Al-Sham Legion” militia, who handed him over to the “military police in Raju,” then transferred him to the “Marateh” central prison in Afrin. He remains arbitrarily detained, with no charges known.
– Ten days ago, the citizen “Abdurrahman Rasul Ibrahim, /30/ years old” from “Aghjaleh” village, Jenderes, was arrested by Turkish intelligence and the “civil police in Afrin” for allegedly performing mandatory service under the previous autonomous administration. He was released after days of detention and a $400 fine was imposed on him, only to be fined another $400 at Afrin court on May 29, 2024, despite his poor financial status.
– On May 28, 2024, the citizen “Rezan Youssef son of Hussein, /37/ years old” from “Kura” village, Jenderes, was arrested by the “civil police in Jenderes” and remains detained, with unknown charges.
= Chaos and Outlaw:
– On May 27, 2024, “Hassan Jamil Al-Jazzar,” from Hama and a member of the “military police in Raju,” shot his colleague “Abu Khaled” from Deir ez-Zor in the leg over a dispute about Abu Khaled’s family’s garbage disposal. Both families occupy adjacent houses in Raju.
The recent incitement and mobilization in Afrin city against Kurdish employees under Turkish occupation and Kurds demanding the return of their homes seized for over six years aim to perpetuate the seizure of Kurdish property and halt the few fair decision made under the pressure of human rights and media reports.
01.06.2024
Media Office-Afrin
Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria (Yekiti)
——————
Images:
– “Ahmad Shahoud Rashid/Haroun Rashid,” deputy leader of the “Ninth Division” militias, and some of his elements who attacked Kurdish civilians in the Raju district.
– Gatherings of settlers in Afrin city during the last week of May 2024, protesting the court’s decision to vacate Kurdish homes and return them to their rightful owners.
– The “Shams Al-Amal” settlement village near Jenderes city.
– The “One Ummah” model settlement village in the Sharra/Sharan district.
—————-
* Under the supervision of the European Organization of the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria (Yekîtî).
—————-
You can download the full file by clicking here: