afrinpost-exclusive
On Wednesday, November 6, 2024, North Press reported that the “Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade,” commonly known as “Al-Amshat,” a militia affiliated with Turkish forces, seized an olive mill and 125-dunam farmland in Jindires, Afrin. The property belongs to Ahmed Aziz, a local resident who was detained by the militia four days earlier on unspecified security charges.
According to an official from the “Military Police” in Jindires, the economic office of “Al-Amshat” took control of Aziz’s assets following his arrest. When Aziz’s family attempted to file a legal complaint in the Jindires Court to reclaim the seized property, the court refused to review the case, citing jurisdictional limitations related to military security.
The official highlighted that the confiscation of private properties often follows the arrest of landowners under vague security pretexts, creating a climate of fear among the local population. Reports indicate that, since early September, olive harvest thefts have escalated, with widespread looting and imposition of taxes on farmers. Militias have reportedly annulled management authorizations used by absentee landowners, resulting in significant economic losses and, in some cases, forcing residents into debt to pay extorted fees.
