Protests erupt against electricity price hikes in Turkish-occupied Aleppo
AZAZ, Syria (North Press) – On Saturday, a significant number of protesters took to the streets in the city of al-Bab, east of Aleppo, to express their discontent over the rise in electricity prices imposed by the Turkish company AK Energy, which holds a monopoly in the sector.
Concurrently, similar protests occurred in towns and cities across the northern and eastern countryside of Aleppo.
The aforementioned areas are under the occupation of the Turkish forces and their affiliated armed opposition factions, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA).
An exclusive source told North Press that the demonstrators blocked the roads leading to the company’s headquarters in al-Bab. They barricaded the area with barbed wire and tires, issuing a threat to set the building ablaze should the company persist in its price hikes.
Furthermore, reports indicated that protesters in the city of Azaz and the town of Akhtarin in Aleppo countryside, also took action by closing down the company’s local offices and forcibly removing its employees from all related premises.
The aforementioned Turkish company had recently raised electricity prices in the region, starting from August 8. The increase affected household meters, which saw the price rise from 3.40 Turkish lira per kilowatt-hour to 4.50. Similarly, commercial and industrial meters experienced a price hike from 4.5 to 5.5 Turkish lira. However, after facing backlash from the local population and receiving a critical statement, the company rescinded its decision on the following day, according to the source.
Subsequently, the affected areas experienced recurrent electricity rationing, which the company justified by citing its financial constraints and the economic hardships faced by the residents.
It has been reported that AK Energy has resumed increasing electricity prices, capitalizing on the worsening economic condition of the Turkish lira. Currency exchangers in the area have indicated an exchange rate of 27 lira per US dollar.
It is worth noting that in 2018, the local council in al-Bab granted the AK Energy the exclusive right to manage electricity distribution in the region. This involved the extension of high-voltage cables via the Bab al-Salama border crossing in the north of Azaz.