Turkish company accused of purposely cutting electricity to Syria’s Azaz
AZAZ, Syria (North Press) – Muhammad al-Yusef (a pseudonym), an IDP from Rif-Dimashq governorate residing in Azaz city, north of Aleppo, was forced to buy a generator to provide his shop with electricity despite its high cost, after suffering losses as his meat spoiled during the power outage.
Residents and craftsmen in Azaz complain about long power outages which sometimes reach five hours at noon, causing losses to business owners who depend on electricity.
They say that the Turkish company which provides the city with electricity purposely cuts power to the area, especially at mid-day with the increase in temperatures.
Meanwhile, those who have generators operate them in light of the lack of the public generators providing the city with power, as they were removed after the arrival of the Turkish company.
In early-2018, the local council affiliated with Turkey in Azaz granted a private Turkish company the right to invest in and provide the city with electricity by cables laid through the Bab al-Salama border crossing.
The company priced each kilowatt at 1.75 Turkish lira (0.20 USD) in the beginning, to be reduced later after the objection of the residents and its extension into the Azaz countryside.
Al-Yusef and others still fear the increase in blackouts amid the high summer temperatures.