Medya News
Subscribe
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • More
    • Audio Articles
    • Economy
    • Culture & Art
    • Ecology
    • Newsletter
    • Daily Review
Youtube
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • More
    • Audio Articles
    • Economy
    • Culture & Art
    • Ecology
    • Newsletter
    • Daily Review
Youtube
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
Medya News

Three years of Turkish occupation, three years of human rights violations

11:11 am 07/01/2023
A A
Three years of Turkish occupation, three years of human rights violations
Share this
FacebookTwitterRedditEmailLinkedInWhatsApp

Robin Fleming

Another year has come and gone, making it three years since the beginning of Turkey’s military operation ‘Peace Spring’ on 9 October 2019 and its occupation of the northern Syrian cities of Ras al-Ayn (Serê Kaniyê) and Tell Abyad (Girê Spî‎).

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continues to threaten the remaining areas of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) with invasion, and regularly to remind the population that his threats are serious, with intense shelling, drone strikes and other aerial attacks.

As the world waits for Turkey’s sporadic attacks to become a full-blown invasion, let’s step back and see what the threatened Turkish occupation would actually mean, using Ras al-Ayn and Tell Abyad as examples.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) released a new report on 4 January detailing hundreds of rights violations in the ‘Peace Spring’ areas throughout 2022. Tragically, there are too many instances to repeat one by one, so let me just show you the general picture SOHR paints of the occupied regions.

In summary, the report can be quoted as follows: “The so-called ‘Peace Spring’ area has witnessed a dreadful humanitarian situation, deteriorating services and dire living conditions, which triggered public anger… Overall, this bleak picture remains in place, with the widespread corruption and tyranny of the Turkish-backed factions without any deterrent preventing them from committing further humanitarian crimes against Syrian civilians in the ‘Peace Spring’ areas.”

The report documents hundreds of rights violations in Ras al-Ayn and Tell Abyad in 2022, including a graphic sharing the most important statistics.

The observatory reports that 83 people, including 28 civilians, four women and seven children, were killed in the ‘Peace Spring’ areas in 2022. In addition, over 68 civilians and combatants were reported as being injured. Violence in the form of infighting between factions, tribes and families also runs rampant in the occupied territories, with 37 instances of infighting reported resulting in 39 fatalities and ten or more injuries.

The report also documents detonations of landmines, IEDs and booby-trapped vehicles, showing that eight explosions took place last year, killing 14 people including two children. But perhaps the most astounding and concerning data shown by the report relates to the number of arbitrary arrests and kidnappings in the area. The observatory reports as many as 226 people including three women were arrested without valid cause and 31 people were kidnapped, one of whom was a child.

I could continue relaying more detailed horror stories, such as the infamous story of a young Iraqi boy named ‘Yassin Al-Mahmoud’ who was sexually assaulted and killed by members of a Turkish-backed faction in Ras al-Ayn on 15 September 2022.  But we already know this, we have watched for years as the situation in Turkey’s occupied regions deteriorates. We’ve seen the tragic photos of displaced people fleeing, of homes destroyed by Turkish bombs, and we have heard the threats being repeated over and over. Are we going to continue to watch like we watch repeat episodes of our favourite TV show? Apathetically devouring the tragedies and travesties we see before us? Or will the world finally recognise that we already know what Turkish invasion means to the population of Syria, and that Afrin, Ras al-Ayn and Tell Abyad have shown us clearly what occupation looks like.

So, I will reiterate the concluding statement of the SOHR’s report and join in their appeal to bring an end to the violations within the occupied regions – “The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, therefore, renews its appeal to the international community not to abandon its responsibility and obligations and find a lasting solution to the tragedy of the region’s civilians that are plagued with systematic abuse and violations committed by lawless factions, including thefts, murders, looting, arrests and kidnappings.” The full report can be found here.

I will also add my own call, to prevent operations like ‘Peace Spring’ and ‘Olive Branch’ being repeated.

Robin Fleming is an American Researcher who worked with the Rojava Information Centre and specialises in North and East Syria.

Share this
FacebookTwitterRedditEmailLinkedInWhatsApp
Tags: AANESSyriaTrendingTurkey

Related Posts

Politicians, activists and artists are unhappy with KRG’s inaction against Turkish military attacks

Turkey-backed factions torture Kurds in Syrian prisons: Human Rights report

February 1, 2023
Katsiaficas points to Öcalan for peace in Turkey

Katsiaficas points to Öcalan for peace in Turkey

February 1, 2023
Medya News Daily Review: 1 February 2023

Medya News Daily Review: 1 February 2023

February 1, 2023
Turkish customs officers beat woman at Iraqi Kurdistan border

Turkish customs officers beat woman at Iraqi Kurdistan border

February 1, 2023
Helsinki activists protest Finland’s arms sales to Turkey

Helsinki activists protest Finland’s arms sales to Turkey

February 1, 2023
European politicians join three million people in PKK delisting campaign

European politicians join three million people in PKK delisting campaign

February 1, 2023

Videos

Katsiaficas points to Öcalan for peace in Turkey
KURDISTAN

Katsiaficas points to Öcalan for peace in Turkey

February 1, 2023

All News

Turkey-backed factions torture Kurds in Syrian prisons: Human Rights report

Katsiaficas points to Öcalan for peace in Turkey

Medya News Daily Review: 1 February 2023

Turkish customs officers beat woman at Iraqi Kurdistan border

Helsinki activists protest Finland’s arms sales to Turkey

European politicians join three million people in PKK delisting campaign

Medya News

Impressum

About us

Privacy Policy

Subscribe
Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • World
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • Ecology
  • Economy
  • Culture & Art
  • Daily Show
  • Newsletter
  • Authors
  • Podcast

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Add New Playlist

Loading
Contact