Human Rights Watch (HRW) have exposed the severe humanitarian conditions faced by Syrians in Tel Abyad (Girê Spî), a district in northern Syria under Turkish occupation, challenging Turkey’s ‘safe zone’ narrative.
According to a HRW report published on Thursday, Turkish authorities have been deporting Syrians to this remote area, where they encounter dire situations, contradicting Turkey’s claims of voluntary returns. “Turkey’s ‘voluntary’ returns are often coerced,” said Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at HRW, highlighting the perilous journeys deportees undertake to escape Tel Abyad’s inhumane conditions.
The report indicates a significant increase in the number of Syrians deported to Tel Abyad between January and June 2023, with Turkish forces accused of forcing Syrians to sign ‘voluntary’ return forms since 2017. HRW’s findings suggest discrepancies in official Turkish data on returns, with certain border crossings failing to distinguish between voluntary returnees and deportees.
Turkey’s intent to transform northern Syrian territories, including Tel Abyad, into ‘safe zones’ is scrutinised, given the documented human rights abuses and potential war crimes in these areas. Deportees interviewed by HRW shared experiences of coercion and separation from their families, with many having no ties to Tel Abyad. The deportations not only breach international law but also leave Syrians trapped in a region with no access to livelihoods or safe passage to other parts of Syria, forcing them to rely on smugglers.
An aid worker from the Al Bir Society for Social Services in Tel Abyad described the economic plight and limited external assistance available to deportees, many of whom are forced to survive on one meal a day. The lack of international aid and Turkey’s obligations as the occupying power to protect Syrians under international law underscore the pressing need for global recognition of the situation and action to support those affected.
This report challenges the notion of ‘safe zones’ in Turkish-occupied Syria, revealing a reality of deprivation, danger, and international neglect, and calls for urgent humanitarian intervention to address the significant needs of the deportees.
In line with HRW’s findings, a recent report by Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) also revealed the inhumane conditions experienced by nearly 30,000 Syrian refugees deported from Turkey between January and August 2023. The report highlighted instances of physical abuse, confiscation of personal belongings, and people being coerced into signing “voluntary return” papers while in detention centres. It also pointed out Turkey’s demographic engineering efforts in northern Syria, particularly in Afrin (Efrin), by replacing the local Kurdish population with Arabs and Turkmens.
