Turkish forces withdraw from Syria’s Afrin village after 8 years
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Turkish forces withdrew on Sunday from Julbur village in Afrin countryside, northwestern Syria, after more than eight years of control, during which the village was used as a military base and residents were prevented from returning to their homes.
Following the withdrawal, vehicles belonging to the Internal Security Forces of Syria’s transitional government entered the village and began search and inspection operations to detect mines and unexploded remnants of war and assess the safety of the area.
Julbur has more than 110 homes, many of which were damaged or destroyed during years of shelling and military operations. The village had become a frontline area and was repeatedly shelled, causing extensive damage to residential buildings and private property.
The withdrawal has raised hopes among displaced residents that they may be able to return to their homes and reclaim their properties. However, concerns remain over mines and other remnants of war that could pose risks to civilians.
The development follows the Turkish withdrawal in July from Basileh (Basilhaya) village, another area of Afrin. The withdrawal allowed around 50 displaced families to return to their homes after nearly eight years, according to local sources.
Turkey and Turkish-backed Syrian factions took control of Afrin in March 2018 following a military operation against the Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG). The offensive displaced tens of thousands of Kurds from Afrin and surrounding villages.
Since then, North Press reports have documented restrictions on the return of displaced residents, property seizures and demographic changes in parts of the region. Several villages have remained inaccessible to their original residents because of the presence of Turkish military positions and bases.
Local sources said Turkish forces established seven military bases in Afrin since 2018, five of them inside residential villages whose inhabitants have reportedly remained unable to return.
These include Julbur, which has around 110 homes, Darwish and Che (Jabaliyah) villages in Rajo, with about 200 and 70 homes respectively, and Sheikh Khurza Fawqani in Bulbul, which has more than 300 homes.
Two other bases are reportedly located near Kimar and Kafr Janneh in the Sharran area.
The latest withdrawal has renewed expectations among displaced Afrin residents that further military withdrawals could allow more families to return after years of displacement, provided their villages are cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance and basic security conditions are restored.