The United Nations’ Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic has released a report implicating Turkey in a series of human rights violations in northern Syria between January and June 2024.
The report, presented to the Human Rights Council during its 57th session, details Turkey’s direct involvement in airstrikes, detention abuses and other violations committed in areas under its control.
Turkish forces and affiliated Syrian National Army (SNA) factions, a coalition of armed groups operating with the support of Turkey, were found responsible for arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence and attacks against civilians, amounting to potential war crimes.
The report highlightedseveral incidents of airstrikes conducted by Turkish forces that targeted civilian infrastructure. One such strike on January 15 destroyed the Swediyah power station, cutting off electricity to over a million people and severely impacting access to water and fuel. The commission found that these airstrikes violated international humanitarian law, noting the lack of military targets near the affected areas.
Another series of strikes in late May injured seven civilians, including two children, during an attack on a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) checkpoint in the village of Tal Hamis.
In Afrin, civilians were detained by SNA military police and subjected to severe beatings with pipes and cables while held in inhumane conditions. According to the report, a Kurdish man detained in Afrin described how he was repeatedly beaten while handcuffed and blindfolded during interrogation.
The report also revealed cases of sexual and gender-based violence in Turkish-controlled areas. A Kurdish woman attempting to travel to Turkey in 2022 was gang-raped by SNA members, and another woman was sexually assaulted in her home in Afrin by a member of the SNA’s Sultan Murad Division in 2023.
These incidents were part of a larger pattern of abuse, including incommunicado detention and torture in various detention facilities across northern Syria.
In addition to physical abuse, Turkish-backed factions engaged in property confiscation and extortion. In Afrin, the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade imposed exorbitant “taxes” on Kurdish landowners, with one man forced to pay over $8,000 under threat of violence.
Turkey’s military presence in Syria remains controversial. While Ankara insists its operations aim to protect national security and resettle refugees, critics argue that the real impact has been devastating for civilians, with ongoing abuses by Turkish forces and their allies.
The commission’s report calls on Turkey to investigate these violations and hold accountable those responsible, while urging international bodies to address the worsening human rights situation in Syria. Despite these calls, the report indicates that impunity for such violations remains a significant challenge in the region.
