The Afrin (Efrîn) Human Rights Organization documented that in recent days, olives from more than 900 trees have been stolen from the city of Afrin and its surrounding villages. The thefts were carried out by mercenary groups under the Turkish occupation through their so-called “economic” commanders. These commanders reportedly brought between 100 and 300 people into the region, who stole olives in groups and shared the loot with their superiors.
The organization reported that part of the stolen harvest came from the village of Kurdo in the Bilbilê district. The commander of the “Jaysh al-Nukhba” group, Abu al-Izz, looted the produce of more than 200 olive trees belonging to Jamal Rashid Rashkelo two days ago.
Witnesses stated that the mercenaries described themselves as “revolutionaries who liberated Syria,” claiming that “Kurdish farmers have no right to object or prevent the harvesting.”
In the village of Heftaro, the commander of the “Liwa Suqur al-Shamal” group formed a local committee and used it to seize the olives from more than 300 trees belonging to farmer Shiyar Heftaro.
In the village of Naza in the Shera district, mercenaries from the “Jaysh al-Nukhba” group, identified as Hassan Kousa and Abu Awad, looted the olives from 110 trees belonging to Hamid Osman, a resident of the village of Aqibê.
Meanwhile, the mercenaries, in cooperation with local individuals from the al-Heeb tribe in the Hama countryside, damaged olive trees with sharp tools during the harvest that lasted for two days. It was reported that the orchard owners had granted written authorization to their relatives to collect the harvest, but the mercenaries ignored these documents.
According to the organization, the so-called “Economic Committee” in Shera demanded official ownership documents from farmers for their orchards, threatening to confiscate the lands and claim them as the committee’s property if such documents were not provided.
The committee had previously assigned witnesses and village heads to verify the ownership papers, yet it continues to demand new documentation and threaten farmers with seizure.
The Afrin Human Rights Organization stated that the looting of civilians’ property in Afrin is taking place under the shadow of the Turkish state’s occupation and administration. The organization emphasized that the occupying Turkish state is responsible for these violations, which constitute crimes of unlawful seizure and demographic change.
The statement concluded, “What is being done to the farmers is carried out by force of arms and justified through fraudulent economic decisions.”