Turkey launched an occupation offensive against Afrin in March eight years ago under the name “Operation Olive Branch.” At the time, Syrian airspace was under Russia’s control. Although the Bashar al-Assad regime reacted to the attack, it was unable to mount an effective response due to the limits set by Moscow. The Kurds, who had made up the overwhelming majority of the population prior to the operation and occupation, were forced to flee due to intense bombardment and conflict, moving to various areas, primarily Aleppo, Heseke, Qamishlo, Kobanê, and Shehba.
58 days of clashes and civilian casualties
As part of the operation it launched citing the presence of the YPG as justification, the Turkish state heavily bombed Afrin with 71 F-16 fighter jets. According to Syrian sources, more than 600 civilians lost their lives in the attacks; among the dead were 95 children and over 100 women.
After 58 days of clashes, Afrin was occupied in March 2018 by the Turkish state and affiliated armed groups. During this period, tens of thousands of people left the region.
Destruction of historical and cultural heritage
According to reports by civil society organizations and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Afrin’s historical fabric and cultural heritage suffered serious damage during the operation. Sites including Nabi Huri Castle were affected by bombardment. The destruction of olive groves in the region, the cutting down of millions of trees, and allegations regarding property seizures strengthened debates about demographic change.
The detainees, the missing and those with an unknown fate
İbrahim Şexo, Director of the Afrin Human Rights Organization, states that the number of people detained or abducted in the region has exceeded 10,000. According to Şexo, most of these people were later released; however, the fate of around 2,000 people—among them women and girls—remains unknown. It is alleged that these people are being held in various prisons in Turkey and Syria.
Şexo also reports that around 600 people were transferred last year to al-Rai prison. There is information indicating that the prison was later evacuated and the detainees were sent to al-Hola prison in Homs.
Demographic change and policies of Turkification
The conflicts, waves of migration, and shifts in control since 2011 have led to increasing pressure on the Kurdish population, particularly along the Afrin, Aleppo, and Shehba corridor. The imposition of Turkish as a mandatory language in educational institutions, local administrative practices linked to Turkey, and demographic changes continue to fuel debates over “Turkification policies.” Once known for its natural beauty and ancient culture, Afrin is now largely associated with destruction, demographic transformation, and ongoing rights violations.
The collapse of the Assad regime
Beginning on December 8, 2024, HTS offensives—expanding with international approval across Idlib, Homs, Hama, and Aleppo—led to a shift in control over Syria’s most important cities. During this process, the Assad regime began to collapse. With the advance of HTS and the fall of Damascus, the rule of the Assad family—established in 1971 with Hafez al-Assad’s rise to power—came to a complete end in Syria.
A new era
While uncertainty remains over the new governance model that the Syrian Transitional Government and Ahmed al-Sharaa aim to establish, Turkey’s influence in the region continues to be a subject of debate. Turkey’s interventions and policies in areas under its control have consistently been framed as a genocide agenda, particularly in relation to allegations of pressure on the Kurdish population and demographic change.
The agreement reached on January 29 addressed the formation of a new Damascus government and the integration process, while also putting the issue of returns to Afrin and changes to its demographic structure on the table.
Return awaited after Newroz
With arrangements made between Damascus and Rojava regarding civilians displaced from the Afrin region, a limited return took place for 400 families. Afrin families state that, after eight years, the homes and properties they had left behind have largely been destroyed or remain under occupation. Still, 400 families were resettled in the districts of Jindires, Shera, Mabata, and Shiye. Other Afrin families, living in different cities across Syria and having been displaced multiple times, are waiting for further returns after Kurdish New Year, Newroz, on March 21.
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