SNA’s Military Police detain 5 teachers in Syria’s Afrin
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, the Turkish-backed Military Police of the Syrian National Army (SNA) arrested five teachers in the city of Afrin, northwest Syria, accusing them of inciting students against the Turkish language and culture.
On Oct. 21, the SNA also arrested employees in the Directorate of Education of the Syrian opposition’s Interim Government in the city of Tel Abyad, northern Syria, for criticizing the imposition of the Turkish language in schools.
A source from the education committee of the Interim Government in Afrin told North Press that the Military Police has detained five teachers on the grounds of inciting students against learning the Turkish language, preserving their native Kurdish language, and rejecting the Turkish culture imposed by the Yunus Emre Institute, a non-profit governmental Turkish organization, in Afrin and rural areas of Aleppo in general.
The source added that the arrested teachers include Mehyar Ali, Sabah Awjan, Tariq Darboul, and two others whose names are unknown. They were teaching students in the basic education stage, according to the source.
Earlier, the Yunus Emre Institute, in collaboration with local councils under Turkish administration in northern Syria, announced providing food baskets to families whose children are enrolled in accredited centers teaching Turkish language and culture. This initiative aims to promote interest in Turkish language and culture.
The source clarified that the Military Police assaulted two of the teachers in front of their families before arresting them. This incident took place in the Villas neighborhood in Afrin.