Tribal meeting in Syria’s Sere Kaniye fails over Turkish plans to seize Kurds’ properties
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Exclusive sources told North Press on Saturday that a recent tribal meeting in the city of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), northeastern Syria, convened under the direct supervision of Turkish intelligence, collapsed after sharp disputes among tribal elders over Turkish-backed proposals to buy properties belonging to displaced Kurdish residents.
According to the sources, some tribal figures firmly rejected the proposals, while others expressed conditional approval, fueling divisions that ultimately prevented any agreement. The meeting, held several days ago, ended without tangible results.
The gathering is part of repeated Turkish efforts to present its policies in occupied areas of northern Syria with a tribal or social façade, particularly in Sere Kaniye.
Turkey has been accused of attempting to cement new realities by encouraging or facilitating the purchase—and, in some cases, confiscation—of properties belonging to the city’s displaced Kurdish population.
Local analysts say the meeting’s failure highlights deep rifts within tribal structures over whether to align with Turkish agendas.
Human rights advocates argue that such initiatives serve as little more than a “formal cover” for broader strategies aimed at stripping displaced residents of their right to return.
Turkey and its affiliated Syrian armed factions, known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), occupied Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad in October 2019 during a military operation that displaced tens of thousands of Kurdish residents. Since then, human rights organizations have documented widespread violations, including property seizures, as part of what many describe as systematic attempts to alter the region’s demographic composition.
Reporting by Taysir Mohammed