afrinpost– Exclusive
The Turkish-affiliated “Hamza/al-Hamzat” militia has conducted a survey of olive grove ownership in villages between Afrin and Jindires, with the aim of imposing new taxes under the threat of revoking ownership documents. According to our correspondent, the economic office of the Hamzat militia surveyed land ownership in the villages of Maratê/Ma’arat, Mezin, Bablît, Keferdelê, and Feqîra, recording the names of their owners, including those forcibly displaced from Afrin, and demanding that power of attorney owners verify their data and pay the taxes.
The militia determined a tax of 40% of production or two and a half dollars per olive tree and half the production of a walnut tree for power of attorney owners (representing displaced Kurdish citizens overseeing their lands), while residents were charged half a dollar for each olive tree they owned. The militia threatened power of attorney owners who objected to the taxes with revoking it and giving it to IDPs loyal to them on their behalf.
On another note, our correspondent added that the Sultan Murad militia, which controls the village of Zivingê, is investigating the ownership of olive trees near the Ashuna dam between Zivingê and Aşûna in the Bulbul sub-district.
Meanwhile, the arbitrary cutting of trees by armed groups belonging to Turkish-backed militias continues, as 16 olive trees belonging to Emad Osman, a resident of the village of Joqê\Jwaiq, were cut down on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, April 21st.
