HTS runs antiquities excavation in Syria’s Idlib

IDLIB, Syria (North Press ) – Excavating antiquities in areas under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS – formerly al-Nusra Front) is undergoing in cooperation with Turkish brokers working with the HTS and having influence at the Turkish intelligence services.  

Although such an activity is forbidden worldwide, the Salvation Government, HTS’ civil umbrella, in the footsteps of the Islamic State Organization (ISIS) embraces such an activity openly via issuing authorizations and giving facilities for excavators considering itself a partner if not the sole beneficiary.

Abu Muhammad Jamal Saad al-Din, an administrator in the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Salvation Government said “The idea of antiquities’ excavation and selling is a legalized one in Idlib and its countryside on the contrary to all governments that outlaw the process.” 

According to Saad al-Din, it is a matter conditioned on regulations and rules that guarantee the beneficiary’s work and the HTS’ rights. It is granted on different periods and to a number of specific individuals.

Excavation requirements  

The most remarkable requirement to obtain an authorization is that the beneficiary should be “a recommended one by an HTS emir and have an experience in such an arena to determine a site where antiquities are likely to be found or define its kind.”

The authorization is usually granted for a limited period of time agreed upon by the HTS’ Rikaz Office (underground resources office) that grants authorizations and the beneficiary.  

Conditions stipulate that excavation be presented by an antiquarian to run the whole process in a way the antiquities cannot be damaged.   

Rikaz Office gets from 25 to 35 percent of the value of the excavated antiquities according to its kind and value in the market. The beneficiary holds all costs of excavation, according to Saad al-Din.  

Available sites

Hamo Abu Sadeq, 42, from the city of Abu Kamal in the east of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, who works in antiquities’ excavation said, “There are many archaeological sites and marks in the west and north of Idlib which are far-away from shelling areas.”  

Hamo told North Press that granting an authorization or any facilities in excavating and digging does not take ten days “There is a man that caters for this area.”  

One working hour reaches 100 Turkish lira for an excavating device and the antiquarian, and even the digging devices. All these sums of money return to the HTS. All these even the antiquarian are affiliated by the HTS, according to Abu Sadeq.   

“The big loss for us is when we work for long hours and paying large sums of money without finding anything,” he added.  

“Antiquities are outlawed everywhere controlled by recognized governments,” Abu Sadeq stressed, adding, “In the liberated areas, there is nothing that could prevent that. You could pay for the concerned bodies and excavate between sunset and sunrise.”  

Regarding selling, Jalal al-Turkman, known as the “Prince”, who is a broker in the whole area under the control of the Syrian opposition in northwest Syria, said, “Selling antiquities in Idlib, Afrin or any other place is not restricted to excavated pieces from these areas via beneficiaries, however, those coming from the areas under the [Syrian] regime are the most affordable and money producing ones.”  

Al-Turkman added that the reason for this is that the HTS, although facilitates the selling process of antiquities into Turkey, is the top beneficiary taking 30 percent of its value. The HTS also gets sums of money from us for providing security facilitations. They take 10 percent of the brokerage commission.

Excavations lessen in months of winter because the weather makes it hard to perform inspections while they increase in months of Spring and Summer.

“Of course all selling, marketing, and transportations were conducted with the knowledge of the Turkish intelligence, without scrutiny and for sums of money given to them by the buyer who in most cases is either a Turk or Bulgarian”, the Prince told North press.

Reporting by Hani Salem