Turkey is changing the demography of Afrin: Syrian MP

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A member of the Syrian parliament told Rudaw on Friday that Turkey has caused a demographic change in the Kurdish city of Afrin in northwest Syria, days after a rights group shed light on a forced demographic change in the city. 

Afrin city in Aleppo province used to be heavily populated by Kurds before it was invaded by Turkey and its Syrian proxies in March 2018. Since then, Arabs and Turkmens from other parts of Syria have moved to the city and hundreds of thousands of Kurds have been displaced to nearby Tal Rifaat. A report published recently by the Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) organization revealed a forced demographic change. 

Mohammed Fawaz, a member of Syrian parliament who represents Aleppo, told Rudaw’s Nalin Hassan via Skype late Friday that Ankara has been carrying out a demographic change in Afrin since 2018. 

“From the beginning [of the invasion], Erdogan worked on clearing the areas and carrying out a demographic change in the bordering areas, especially in the Afrin city. I witnessed Erdogan’s attack on the area with heavy weapons and how the people of this area were being displaced barefooted,” he said. 

The MP claimed that Turkey has transferred the ownership of houses and land to members of its proxy forces. “The purpose is to cause a demographic change in Afrin which used to be mostly populated by our Kurdish brothers. However, this will not last for a long time.”

Bassam Alahmad, co-founder & executive director of STJ told Rudaw on Monday that following the invasion of Afrin, “tens of thousands of fighters from the opposition and their families were moved in. This is in addition to tens of thousands of civilians [who were moved to Afrin],” he said, adding that these people have been settled in different parts of Afrin.  

He also said that their findings have been sent to countries, including European countries, “which financially support” the settlements. 

A source from Afrin, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Rudaw on Friday that a settlement, Qatar Village 2, in Afrin city has recently been completed. It consists of about 400 residential units and is funded by the Istanbul-based Sham al-Khair Humanitarian Organization. 

Azad Osman, a Kurdish member of Afrin Local Council, which rules the city, told Rudaw on Friday that the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) - which controlled Afrin before 2018 - has caused the decline in the Kurdish population in the city for encouraging them to abandon it in the face of Turkish offensive. 

“If any [demographic] change has happened it was because of the YPG forces,” he claimed, adding that 60,000 Kurds initially returned to Afrin but the process later stopped. He also said that some people have returned to the city illegally in recent months. 

Regarding the ownership of Kurdish houses, the Kurdish official said they can regain their houses within two months after they return. 

“Ninety percent of people who have returned have regained their houses,” he claimed, adding that when Kurdish owners return the Arab IDPs move to camps. 

He also claimed that the Council has suspended the process of changing house ownership since 2018.