Turkish-backed SNA raises royalties in Syria’s Sere Kaniye
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), raised the amount of royalties imposed on currency exchange and gold stores in the city of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) in the north of Hasakah Governorate in northeastern Syria.
An exclusive source told North Press that the Turkish-backed Sultan Murad faction increased the royalty imposed on gold stores to $400, and $300 for currency exchange and transmittance stores. They increased the royalties by 25 percent compared to past months.
The source also pointed out that each faction imposes a different amount of royalties. The Ahrar al-Sharqiya faction imposed $500 on gold stores and $400 on currency exchange and transmittance stores every month under the excuse of protecting merchants from assaults by other factions.
Shop owners in the city find themselves forced to pay as the factions impose for fear of getting robbed and to avoid more oppression, the source noted.
Sere Kaniye, along with Tel Abyad in the north of Raqqa, have been under the Turkish occupation since 2019 following the so-called “Peace Spring” military operation that was launched by the Turkish forces and the SNA factions.
Owners of gold and currency exchange stores in the cities of Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad in northeast Syria witness assaults and armed robberies by SNA factions.