Turkey-related NGOs construct 3 new settlements in Syria’s Afrin
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – Coordinated with Turkey and funded by Qatar, local organizations completed on Sunday the construction of three new settlements in Afrin region in northwest Syria.
An exclusive source told North Press that the Turkish Beyaz Eller (White Hands) Association have recently completed the construction of three new settlements near the village of Sheikh al-Deir (Shadereh), about 18 km in the south of Afrin city.
The source said that each settlement includes 300 apartments. They are prefabricated rooms built for the settlers who came to Afrin from other Syrian areas, mostly the families of the members of armed factions, after the city was occupied by Turkey.
The Kurdish-majority region of Afrin has been under Turkish occupation since 2018 following a military operation dubbed “Olive Branch” to push away the Kurdish People’s/Women’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) under the pretext of protecting the Turkish national security.
The invasion displaced around 300,000 indigenous Kurds. Turkey and its affiliated opposition factions of the Syrian National Army (SNA), replaced the population with Arabs fleeing other parts of Syria. Kurds in Afrin are subject to systemic discrimination and violence. In 2022 alone, 633 people, mostly Kurds, were arbitrarily arrested by SNA factions and Turkey.
In June, The Turkey-based International Association for Relief and Development (ONSUR), with support from Palestinian organizations, completed the construction of al-Amal 2 settlement in Jabal al-Ahlam area in southeastern Afrin within a complex of five settlements.
Turkey has built more than 19 settlements in Afrin region, northwest Syria, through using organizations like Living with Dignity Association, White Hands (Beyaz Eller), Rahma International Society, and other organizations which are funded by Qatar and Kuwait.
Human rights activists say they are part of a Turkish “ethnic engineering” policy in the region. Most are funded by Turkish, Qatari, Kuwaiti, or Palestinian organizations with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. At least 1.535 Palestinian families living in Syria have been resettled to Afrin.