By Malin Muhammad
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Presidential elections in Turkey has come to an end, resulting in a new term for Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The post-election period has witnessed a surge in deportation operations, accompanied by an escalated rate of settlement construction in northern Syria, especially in the region of Afrin.
The border crossings between Syria and Turkey witness deportations of Syrians on a daily basis under the pretext of violating asylum laws and failing to update their personal information regarding the Temporary Protection ID Card (kimlik).
Faten Ramadan, the head of Sans Menottes, an NGO primarily concerned with following up on forcibly disappeared Syrians, the Turkish government implements a deliberate and authorized plan to deport refugees, particularly Syrians, as part of its effort to combat the immigration to Turkey and decrease the number of migrants in the country.
Based on statistics and figures, the deportation campaign includes all Turkish states, with a particular focus on major cities like Istanbul, Ankara, and Gaziantep.
The human right activists stressed that on a daily basis, hundreds of people, primarily Syrians, are being forcibly deported, despite the insecurity and the lack of basic living conditions in the areas where Syrians are being deported to.
Numbers are on increase
Ramadan asserts that the number of deportees continues to rise, and that there is also a growing number of documented testimonies highlighting violations and abuses occurring during the deportation process.
Ramadan strongly emphasizes that the absence of legal mechanisms to address these violations, provide solutions for those affected, and allow human rights organizations to visit deportation centers remains stagnant up to this moment.
Moreover, she points out that there is no accurate number and statistics regarding the victims of deportation campaigns, adding that “there are significant numbers of deportees who have arrived in cities such as Sere Kaniye [Ras al-Ain] and Tel Abyad, according to their records, in recent deportations.”
A large number of Syrians are being almost daily deported through crossings such as Bab al-Hawa, Bab al-Salam, and even from the newly established Hamam border crossing in the Jindires district of Afrin countryside.
Raises legal questions
Ramadan says that the conditions of detention, confinement, and deportation are marred by numerous legal questions, as supported by hundreds of documented testimonies from victims who were unlawfully detained and deported using methods involving coercion and abuse to force deportees into signing voluntary return documentation.
She further adds that there is a need for legal answers regarding the numerous documented testimonies that indicate violations and infringements on the human rights of detainees and deportees.
Regarding the content and quantity of these recorded testimonies, she said, “We can ascertain clear violations of Turkish law, as well as international laws for human rights and refugee protection.”
Refugees in Turkey, particularly Syrians, are bearing the consequences of political divisions and tensions within Turkish parties. As a result of this political struggle, an anti-refugee discourse has become one of the outcomes of this political conflict.
Opportunities remain absent and elusive for Syrian refugees, and violations and abuses against them persist. Deportation operations continues to increase, forcing them to resort to unsafe environments and areas devoid of essential living conditions.
Violating international law
Regarding the deportations of Syrians, Moatasem al-Kilani, an expert in international criminal law, stated that the act of forcibly repatriating individuals without taking their rights into consideration and without following the appropriate legal procedures is considered a violation of international law, human rights and contravene refugee standards.
Al-Kilani, who resides in France, further explained to North Press that most international agreements prohibit the forced deportation of individuals to areas where they may face torture, harsh treatment, or persecution. These agreements include the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Convention on Human Rights.
He stated that there are reports and allegations indicating the existence of potential violations concerning the deportation and forced return of Syrians by Turkey. These allegations include violations of human rights and refugee standards.
These violations may include the following: not respecting asylum procedures, where forced deportation operations disregard such measures and prevent individuals from submitting asylum applications and receiving legal protection, according to al-Kilani.
Additionally, it includes the return of individuals to unsafe areas. If people are forced to return to areas within Syria where their rights and safety might be threatened, it could be seen as a violation of human rights and refugee standards, he further explained.
Serious demographic change
After Turkish forces and their affiliated Turkish-backed opposition factions, known as Syrian National Army (SNA), occupied the Kurdish city of Afrin in March 2018, following a Turkish military operation dubbed ‘Olive Branch’ which displaced around 300,000 of the original inhabitants, Turkey began implementing its plan to bring about a demographic change in the area.
This was done by establishing settlements for the SNA factions, their families, and IDPs who were forcibly deported from Turkey to the so-called “safe zone.”
These activities take place amid ongoing violations against the region’s original inhabitants. The majority of these settlements aer concentrated in the southeast of Afrin.
According to Nawaf Khalil, the director of the Kurdish Institute for Studies, “Turkey’s ongoing construction of settlements in northern Syria, particularly in areas like Afrin, is openly and clearly supported by Qatar and political Islamist groups in Kuwait and Israel.”
Khalil further explained to North Press that the establishment of these settlements poses a major threat and is part of a deliberate demographic change.
Several organizations based in Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, are involved in this process. They fund local associations which sponsor the construction of these settlements. Since 2018, Turkey has built 112 settlements in the area in the first half of 2023.
They have built settlements in 25 villages in Afrin distributed across the areas of Sherawa, Sheikh Hadid, Jindires, and Rajo in the countryside of Afrin. This was documented by North Press during their recent visit to the area.
Khalil strongly emphasized that these deportation operations are carried out as part of the Turkish project called the “Eastern Reform,” which aims to alter the demographics of the entire region.
He highlighted that “Turkey, in collaboration with the Syrian regime and acting as an occupying force, is deliberately changing the demographic composition of the area.”
He stressed that forcing Syrian refugees to return to areas other than those they were displaced from is considered a violation of refugee rights.