Turkey fortifying its bases across North and East Syria

RISH AYNO (RAS AL-AYN), Syria ­— Turkish occupation forces in North and East Syria continue to bring trucks loaded with concrete blocks to occupied villages to fortify their positions and have begun digging trenches and building earthen berms around their bases in the region.

Since the Turkish occupation of Rish Ayno (Ras al-Ayn) and Tel Abyad cities in October 2019, dozens of military bases have been established in those areas. The bases are guarded by the Turkish-backed factions of the Syrian National Army (SNA), a coalition of militias, several of them with extremist ideologies, formed and funded by Turkey, who are equipped with armored vehicles and heavy weapons. Additionally, a large number of Turkish commandos are reportedly stationed in the region.

Since then, the Turkish occupation army has been bringing dozens of trucks loaded with concrete blocks to the villages of Al-Arba’en, Lilan, Al-Manajir, and several others in the Rish Ayno countryside. Moreover, the Turkish occupation has built berms around its military base on the hill of Amiriyah village adjacent to the M4 highway and has begun excavation work inside this base.

According to local sources, Turkish forces have dug trenches from Al-Arisha village to Al-Daoudiya village west of Tal Tamr on the road to Rish Ayno.

The Turkish entrenchment is a part of the ongoing operations against the people of North and East Syria. Demographic change and the Turkification of the area continue, with residents being forced to learn the Turkish language, the names of public facilities being replaced with Turkish ones and the hoisting of the Turkish flag over them.

Other human rights abuses continue as well. Turkish-backed factions continue to burn agricultural crops, kidnap civilians for ransom, extort business and families for large sums of money, and engage in torture, murder, and sexual assault.