Turkey deports detained Syrians from NE Syria to Idlib
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Human rights sources informed North Press on Sunday that Turkey has released a number of Syrian detainees from the city of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) in northeastern Syria and deports them to Idlib.
The detainees were arrested following Tukey’s 2019 military operation that resulted in the occupation of Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad in northern Syria.
According to the sources, Turkish authorities released the group—though the exact number remains unknown—on Saturday and immediately deported them to Idlib in northwestern Syria.
The detainees were among dozens of Syrians arrested by Turkish forces and transferred to Turkish territory under accusations of belonging to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The released individuals had been held in Helwan Prison in Turkey’s Urfa province.
In a 2021 report, Human Rights Watch stated that Turkey and affiliated armed factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), had unlawfully arrested and transferred at least 63 Syrian citizens from northeastern Syria to Turkey, where they faced serious charges that could result in life sentences.
The organization added that other reports suggest the actual number of Syrians illegally transferred may be as high as 200. Turkish pro-government media have also reported ongoing arrests and transfers of Syrian nationals, indicating that this practice continues.
These events occurred within two years of the Turkish military incursion into Sere Kaniye, and North Press has since documented repeated cases of arrests in Sere Kaniye, Tel Abyad, and Afrin, where detainees were transported to Turkish prisons.
The recently released individuals, all Arab residents of Sere Kaniye, are expected to arrive in Hasakah later today. Human rights sources expressed concerns that the returnees may face harassment, and their families remain apprehensive.
The same sources reported that Turkish courts issued prison sentences ranging from three years to life imprisonment for these detainees, all based on the same accusation—affiliation with the SDF.
Turkey maintains control over the Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad areas and continues to cut off water from the Allouk station, affecting over one million people. Humanitarian organizations and local officials are demanding the restoration of water supply and the safe return of displaced residents, especially in light of the recent agreement reached in March between Syria’s Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa and SDF Commander in Chief Mazloum Abdi.