afrinpost-Exclusive
For approximately a month, Turkish authorities in the town of Rajo have halted the issuance of civilian IDs to Kurdish residents returning to their villages in the Afrin region. This action comes as a result of orders from Turkish intelligence, all while their militias continue to impose levies under the pretext of renewing property ownership certificates for the residents of the Rajo subdistrict.
According to private sources, the Turkish intelligence official known as “Madhat Hurmush” issued a decree that effectively prevents recent Kurdish returnees to the Afrin region from obtaining civilian IDs. Conversely, approvals are exclusively granted to Arab IDPs.
Turkish authorities are tightening their grip on Kurdish residents due to orders from Turkish intelligence. The Civil Registry in Afrin forwards applications for local council IDs to Turkish intelligence for security screening before issuance. The focus is especially on the names of new arrivals from the occupied city of Afrin.
Furthermore, the economic offices of the Turkish militias have begun requesting property ownership declarations from Kurdish residents, aiming to impose levies on the upcoming olive harvest season. It is reported that they have set a 20 percent levy on properties belonging to widows in the Rajo subdistrict.
It’s worth noting that individuals working in the economic office of the “Hamza Division” militia impose levies on local agencies on behalf of their personal interests. These levies take the form of monetary sums or oil barrels, and citizens are required to deliver them to a specified location in Afrin city, rather than the economic center, as observed by “afrinpost” on June 12, 2023.
