HRW reveals Turkey forcibly deports Syrians to occupied North Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday Turkey is forcibly deporting Syrian refugees to the occupied city of Tel Abyad, northern Syria, where they face deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
HRW’s report revealed the Tel Abyad border crossing administration labeled all Syrian returnees as voluntary between January and June 2023.
“Türkiye’s ‘voluntary’ returns are often coerced returns to ‘safe zones’ that are pits of danger and despair,” said Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
Information obtained by HRW from an informed source showed Turkish authorities deported 57,519 Syrians and others over its border crossings, including 16,652 through the Tel Abyad crossing between January and December 2023.
The report pointed out that the administration of the three border crossings, Bab al-Hawa, Bab al-Salama and Tel Abyad, collect data from all returnees, including on reason for return, adding that Turkish officials, however, have pressured the Bab al-Salama and Tel Abyad border administrations not to publish deportation numbers.
Additionally, HRW highlighted that the number of deported Syrians through Tel Abyad border crossing increased in 2023.
“Türkiye says it aims to turn areas of northern Syria under its control, including Tel Abyad, into “safe zones,” but in reality, these areas are rife with human rights abuses. Türkiye’s incursion into the 150 kilometer-long strip of land between Raqqa and al-Hasakeh provinces displaced hundreds of thousands of people, forcing them to flee their homes,” HRW said.
Turkey and its affiliated armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), occupied the border strip stretching between the cities of Tel Abyad and Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) in northeast Syria in 2019 in a military operation dubbed ‘Peace Spring.’
On Feb. 29, HRW said in a 74-page report titled, “Everything is by the Power of the Weapon: Abuses and Impunity in Turkish-Occupied Northern Syria,” that Turkey bears responsibility for the serious abuses and potential war crimes carried out by its forces and affiliated armed opposition factions in areas under its occupation in northern Syria, which Turkey rejected and stressed it “did not reflect the realities on the ground.”
“Since Tel Abyad came under Turkish occupation in 2019, it has had no operating crossing points to other parts of Syria, leaving expensive and dangerous smuggling routes the only viable option to leave the border strip. Four deportees said they had used smugglers to reach other non-government-held areas of northern Syria,” HRW said.
“Türkiye’s pledge to create ‘safe zones’ rings hollow as Syrians find themselves forced to embark on perilous journeys to escape the inhumane conditions in Tel Abyad,” Coogle said.
Moreover, humanitarian organizations reported that the humanitarian needs in the area remain to a large extent unaddressed as Turkey and the local authorities provide no aid to the people.