Arabic to English Translation*
Under the Direction of Turkish Intelligence Surveillance Directives and Civil Initiatives Amid Neglect at the instruction of Turkish intelligence, most security offices of the militias affiliated with the so-called “Syrian National Army” issued verbal directives to village mukhtars (headmen) and passenger transport drivers approximately one week before Eid al-Adha, requiring them to report the names of Afrin residents returning either permanently or for visits. Several mukhtars circulated voice messages containing these instructions via WhatsApp groups. However, the directive was only partially implemented, largely due to public outrage and widespread rejection.
On a separate note, due to the severe deterioration of village roads in the Afrin region under Turkish occupation since 2018, resulting from the lack of public services and the departure of many of the newly settled populations, several roads have recently been repaired and cleaned through local community initiatives. These efforts have taken place in Afrin city, as well as in Meydanki, Qasim, Zarko, Keila, Korkan Fawqani, Tilifeh, Khalneir, Gamrouk, Kuira, Gulia, Gubeko, Avrazeh, and other areas.
The following are facts about the current situation:
= Assaults on Civilians:
– On the night of June 2, 2025, two masked gunmen on a motorcycle assaulted “Hanan Rashid Korbalo /45/ years old, ” a resident of “Khalilka” village – Bulbul, beating him severely after tying him up. They stole a sum of money from him and left him behind. At the time, he had been guarding his vineyard against theft and illegal grazing. His injuries required hospitalization in Afrin for medical treatment.
– On the second night of Eid al-Adha, June 7, 2025, four masked gunmen on motorcycles raided the home of “Faeq Manan Habash /74/ years old” and his wife Amina in “Biboko” village – Bulbul. The attackers beat both of them after restraining them, resulting in the breaking of the wife’s dental prosthetics. They stole four gold bracelets and two mobile phones before fleeing the scene.
= Assault on a Child:
Following a quarrel between children in the village of “Hassiyah/Mirkan” – Mobato/Maabatli, on the evening of May 26, 2025, an individual named “Mohammad Abu Hurriya, ” originally from Raqqa, violently assaulted 11-year-old “Hussein Mustafa Mohammad, ” a local resident of the village. He beat the child severely and threatened the boy’s father against filing any complaint. When the father reported the incident to the General Security, he was told that such matters fall under the jurisdiction of the “Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade – Al-Amshat militia”, which currently controls the village.
= Arbitrary Arrests:
– On June 7, 2025, acting on a request from Turkish intelligence, a joint patrol of the General Security and the “Hamzat Division” militia raided the village of “Qara Guleh” – Bulbul, arresting “Azad Ismail Sido /21/ years old”. Meanwhile, “Rashid Ahmed Mohammad /21/ years old” fled the scene but later surrendered himself to the Bulbul center the following day. Both were released on June 8, 2025, by the General Security.
It Is noteworthy that the two young men had returned to their village on June 5, 2025, the eve of Eid al-Adha, after seven years of forced displacement, and were arrested on charges of alleged links to the former Autonomous Administration.
– Also on June 7, 2025, a General Security patrol at the Nabi Huri Castle Road junction arrested “Dalil Mohammad Rasho /34/ years old, ” a resident of “Hasan Deira” – Bulbul, but released him the following day without filing any formal charges.
= The “Al-Amshat” Militia:
Between June 10–12, 2025, reports circulated claiming that “the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division” militia, led by “Mohammad Al-Jassem/Abu Amsha, ” had dismantled its checkpoints and withdrawn its forces from Shiyeh/Sheikh Al-Hadid district and surrounding villages. However, these claims are inaccurate. The militia’s security and military headquarters in Shiyeh town and the nearby Qarmitlaq village remain fully operational, as do its checkpoints in the villages of “Sanoreh, Khalil, near Arandeh, and near Khaziyana. ”
Only limited changes have taken place:
– The “Dava Yul – Marwaniya village” checkpoint is now jointly operated with the General Security.
– The General Security has established a new headquarters in Shiyeh town.
– The Amshat checkpoint in “Kakhreh” village was removed, as was their checkpoint in “Ashkan Gharbi” village.
– However, militia members continue to gather at the villa of “Haj Aqil Mustafa, ” and their security officer, known as “Qutaiba, ” still operates in Mobato/Maabatli town.
Moreover, most families of militia members and affiliated settlers remain in the area. Only a few families have returned to their places of origin.
Following the arrival of General Security personnel in Shiyeh and the spread of these inaccurate reports, the Amshat militia checkpoints tightened their procedures, intensifying identity checks and interrogations of individuals entering the area
= Cheh – Çê – Jabalieh village – Rajo District:
The village of Çê (Cheh/Jabalieh), located in the Rajo district, remains completely depopulated. The Turkish military, which has established a military base in the village, continues to prohibit the return of its original residents. Meanwhile, the residents’ properties are subjected to ongoing violations and theft, including the seizure of homes, the cutting and burning of agricultural lands, and the theft of seasonal harvests. The most recent violation involved uncontrolled grazing, where herds of livestock were allowed to roam freely among olive trees, causing further damage. Three weeks ago, several displaced villagers objected to this illegal grazing, only to be threatened at gunpoint by the herders and livestock owners. They filed a formal complaint with the General Security’s criminal division in Afrin, but it yielded no results. Instead, security personnel attempted to discredit the complainants, apparently in an effort to evade responsibility.
= Thefts:
– On the evening of May 27, 2025, two armed members of the “Hamzat Division” militia, riding a motorcycle, intercepted “Jwan Salah Bakr, ” a resident of “Khalilka” village – Bulbul, near the village junction. They robbed him of approximately $5,000 USD and his mobile phone, then fled the scene.
– On June 1, 2025, armed individuals stole a private taxi belonging to “Kamal Aref Alo,” a resident of Badino town, while it was parked overnight on a main street near the cultural center in central Afrin.
– Recently, armed individuals looted public property from “Jamil Horo” Park, located behind the Afrin Cultural Center, stealing window frames, iron bars, and chairs, and also cutting down several trees in the park.
– Additionally, before the armed settlers withdrew from the village of “Tilifeh,” west of Afrin, they stole the solar power equipment (panels, batteries, inverter) from the village school, as well as the batteries and inverter from the village mosque.
= Turkish Oversight of Religious Affairs:
As part of its ongoing occupation of Afrin, Turkey continues to supervise and manage religious affairs in the region through its official institutions. Notable recent activities include:
– On May 29, 2025, the “Baram Al-Jannah” kindergarten network, affiliated with the Afrin Religious Endowments Office (Awqaf)—which operates under the Turkish Diyanet Foundation—held a graduation ceremony honoring 427 students, in the presence of a delegation from the Turkish Diyanet Foundation, which presented the children with “appreciation gifts.”
– On May 31, 2025, the “Brotherhood Association”, in cooperation with the Afrin Endowments Office, organized an honor ceremony at the “Gaziantep University – Afrin Branch, Faculty of Education Amphitheater. ” The event celebrated “/28/ girls who completed memorization of the Qur’an, along with /100/ younger girls who had memorized portions of it. ”
– On June 5, 2025, the Afrin Endowments Office and the Al-Safa Orphan School hosted a ceremony where /12/ full Qur’an memorizers were honored with gifts and certificates of appreciation.
– On June 13, 2025, a delegation from the Hatay Provincial Mufti’s Office and Endowments Department visited the Afrin Endowments Office, awarding “certificates of thanks and appreciation” during a formal event dedicated to administrative staff and prominent figures who played a key role in supporting religious activities in Afrin between 2018 and 2025. The recognition was described as an expression of gratitude for their continued and sincere efforts in serving mosques, Qur’anic education, and religious outreach in Afrin and its districts.
These events and statements were reported by the official Facebook page of the Afrin Religious Endowments Office.
= Forest Fires:
– On May 27, 2025, a wildfire was ignited in a natural forest area on the western slopes of “Badino” town. The fire burned through the night and was extinguished naturally the following day.
– On May 28, 2025, another forest fire broke out on Mount “Haj Hasna” in the Jenderes area. Local residents, using limited personal tools, managed to extinguish the flames through self-organized efforts.
On June 1, 2025, Syrian Civil Defense teams (known as the White Helmets) extinguished a forest fire in the “Dava Yul” area, near “Marwaniya” village – Jenderes.
– Between June 5–7, 2025, a wildfire raged in a natural forest located between the villages of “Blilko and Jalo” – Rajo district. The fire could not be contained by local residents, who lacked adequate resources, until “Syrian Civil Defense” teams intervened and extinguished it. Another fire had also erupted in the “Qara Beileh” area, north of “Blilko” village, which was likewise brought under control.
= Cutting Olive Tree:
– On May 30, 2025, residents of “Hassiyah/Mirkan” village – Mobato/Maabatli discovered that armed individuals had cut down /20/ olive trees belonging to “Nathir Kanjo” and /25/ trees belonging to “Mustafa Hamaliko,” some of which were completely destroyed.
– During the last two weeks of May, over /100/ ancient olive trees were entirely cut down in the “Shash Baran” valley, near Mobato/Maabatli town. These trees belonged to “Ahmad Mustafa,” a relative of “Izzat Mustafa Qalandar.” In addition, a grape vineyard planted among the olive trees was damaged by uncontrolled livestock grazing. In a circulating video, “Qalandar” stated that they filed a complaint with the General Security and are awaiting accountability and the restoration of their rights.
It Is worth noting that militia leaders are behind most olive and forest tree logging operations, enjoying protection from the Turkish occupation, as their vehicles are not subject to inspection, especially during activities involving timber cutting, transport, and sale.
To put this in perspective: 100 olive trees produce at least 100 tons of firewood. How were such large quantities cut, transported, and sold amid an area that is densely populated with military and security checkpoints?!
= Chaos and Lawlessness:
On Friday, June 13, 2025, an armed member of the “Elite Army” militia accused a resident of “Haftaro” village – Bulbul of stealing an irrigation hose from his agricultural project. After searching the man’s home with the help of others and finding nothing, a local villager responded that thefts are in fact being committed by the settlers, and that they should return to their areas of origin. Enraged, the militia member contacted one of the Elite Army “commanders,” and together they threatened the villagers with punishment. As a result, the village’s men and youth fled the area out of fear. The General Security later intervened and visited the village the next day, attempting to reassure the displaced residents and encourage their return.
This incident underscores a broader issue: the continued presence of former “military police” militia members within the ranks of the General Security, and the persistence of militia offices across the region, are obstructing efforts to establish law and order. This situation not only enables ongoing violations and crimes, but also prevents the creation of a safe environment that would allow for the dignified and voluntary return of displaced residents.
14.06.2025
Media Office-Afrin
Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria (Yekiti)
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Images:
– Graduation Ceremony – Baram Al-Jannah Kindergartens, Afrin, June 29, 2025.
– Qur’an Memorization Honors – Female Students, Afrin, May 31, 2025.
– Honoring Ceremony – Al-Safa School, Afrin, June 5, 2025.
– Recognition of Afrin Endowments Directorate Staff, Afrin, June 13, 2025.
– Forest Fire – Western Mount of Badino, May 27, 2025.
– Forest Fire – “Dava Yul” area, Marwaniya – Jenderes, June 1, 2025.
– Forest Fire – “Qara Beileh” area, Rajo, June 7, 2025.
– Olive Tree Logging – Hassiyah/Mirkan village, May 30, 2025.
– Olive Tree Logging – Mobato/Maabatli area, from a video by media activist Ahmad Al-Barho, June 3, 2025.
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* Under the supervision of the European Organization of the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria (Yekîtî).
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