ŞÊRÎN MIHEMED

Qamishlo- Since Afrin was occupied in 2018 by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions, many rights violations and crimes against women and girls have been documented.

“The Turkish forces and Turkish-backed factions have violated rights and committed crimes against women and girls since they occupied Afrin, Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad,” said Shirin Coli, the administrator of the Center for Research on Women’s Rights in Qamishlo. “Women and girls are killed, kidnapped, raped and forcibly displaced.”

Noting that people living in the occupied areas are subjected to the most severe forms of physical and psychological torture, Shirin Coli said, “Women and girls are the most subjected to such rights violations and crimes. The Turkish state kills women and violates their rights to break the will of women, control society and depopulate in the occupied areas.”

79 women and girls were kidnapped, 21 more were killed

The center has difficulties in going to the occupied areas to document the crimes committed there, said Shirin Coli. “The aim of the center is to document crimes committed in the occupied areas and prepare a report and send the report to the human rights organizations. Our center has documented many rights violations and crimes committed in Afrin until now. We have documented that 48 women were kidnapped and tortured and 17 more killed in 2021, 27 women and girls were kidnapped and tortured and three more were killed in 2022, four women and girls were kidnapped and tortured and one more was killed in 2023.”

The center has documented following crimes committed against women and girls in Afrin by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions:

2021

On January 2, the members of al-Hamza Division backed by Turkey kidnapped a 50-year-old woman from the village of Kafr Shaila in Afrin. The political security forces kidnapped a 24-year-old woman in the Sherawa town of Afrin.

On January 7, three girls were kidnapped from the village of Hammam al-Turkman, countryside of Tel Abyad/Serêkaniyê, by the Turkish forces. Turkish-backed factions kidnapped a girl from the village of Ushaghi at one of the checkpoints at the entrance of Afrin.

January 11, members of Sultan Suleiman Shah Division kidnapped a girl at the age of 16.

On January 20, a woman was killed by Turkish snipers.

On January 23, a woman in her fifties was killed in artillery shelling on the city of Tal Rifaat.

On February 1, Turkish-backed factions kidnapped a woman in her thirties.

On February 2, the Turkish forces kidnapped a woman from the village of Shitka, Afrin’s Mobata town.

On February 23, Turkish agents and al-Hamza Division kidnapped four women aged from 18 to 60 in the Basouta village of Afrin. The body of a 21-year-old woman was found in the village after her house was blown up by al-Hamza Division.

A 21-year-old woman was kidnapped in the Maamal Ushaghi village of Afrin by Turkish-backed factions. Her dead body was found on March 28, 2021.

On April 22, the members of al-Hamza Divison kidnapped a woman from the village of Maidana, Afrin’s Rajo town.  

On May 12, Turkish agents kidnapped three women from the same family, in the town of Shaykh Al Hadid.

On May 30, the dead body of a 64-year-old woman was found. She was kidnapped by Turkish-backed factions in 2019.

On June 12, four women aged from 21 and 80 were killed in airstrikes on Afrin.

On June 24, the members of the Levant Front kidnapped a girl and took her to the prison of the village of Iska. Three days later, she was released after her family paid a ransom.

On July 7, Turkish-backed factions kidnapped a 60-year-old woman twice. She was released after her family paid a ransom.

On August 11, the members of the Sultan Murad Division kidnapped a woman in the village of Qurt Qawlaq. The next day, the members of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division (al-Amshat) kidnapped a woman after she returned from Lebanon.

2022

On 19 January, Turkish-backed factions kidnapped a woman from the village of Qatma.

On February 2, Turkish agents kidnapped a woman from the town of Mobata.

On March 17, Turkish agents kidnapped a 50-year-old woman in Afrin.

On August 24, a woman was killed in a drone attack on Afrin.

On December 2, Turkish agents kidnapped a 50-year-old woman.

2023

On January 9, Turkish-backed factions kidnapped a woman in her fifties from the village of Shekhotka, Afrin’s Mabata town and a 19-year-old girl from the village of Qasim in the Rajo town of Afrin.

On March 12, the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division (al-Amshat) kidnapped a woman from the village of Salo.

On June 5, a 70-year-old woman was killed in the Maaratah neighborhood of Afrin.