afrinpost– Exclusive
The wanton destruction of forests and the plundering of indigenous people’s properties, including olive and fruit trees, continue unabated in the occupied region of Afrin, carried out by Turkish-affiliated militias and with the complicity of their security apparatus as a means of financial gain. These actions demonstrate a complete disregard for the environmental risks and the harm inflicted upon the livelihoods of the inhabitants of occupied Afrin.
In a recent development, our correspondent has uncovered evidence of collusion between checkpoints manned by the military police militias and armed members of the so-called “National Army” in the Rao sub-district. This collusion involves turning a blind eye to the illegal logging operations in exchange for financial payments per each load of firewood transported.
It has been revealed that vehicles loaded with firewood pass through military police checkpoints and those operated by the “Muntasir” and “Hamza Division” militias after paying a fee ranging between 25 and 50 Turkish lira.
Yesterday, on June 3rd, a vehicle loaded with firewood passed through the “Muntasir” checkpoint at the Hamshlak junction without any hindrance. Subsequently, it proceeded through the military police checkpoint at the entrance of the town of Rajo, with the driver paying 50 Turkish lira to the checkpoint officer. Finally, the vehicle crossed the checkpoint at Barbend, controlled by the “Hamza Division,” after the driver handed over 25 Turkish lira.
Furthermore, our correspondent has learned that members of the “Faylaq al-Sham” militia have been cutting down olive trees in the field belonging to forcibly displaced citizen Abdou Nasser Khalil, located between the villages of Basoufan and Beya in the Shara sub-district. This illegal action was justified by the militia based on his alleged affiliation with the Kurdish political party (PYD). It is worth noting that the field is managed by Abdou’s brother on his behalf.
The systematic destruction of the environment and the pillaging of natural resources in occupied Afrin not only poses an ecological disaster but also inflicts severe economic hardships on the indigenous population. Local residents are grappling with the loss of their livelihoods and the degradation of their once-thriving natural surroundings.
