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Are Turkish-backed fighters operating in northern Syria held accountable for their crimes? According to the last report by the Inspector General for Operation Inherent Resolve, the US Department of State & Turkish officials indicate that the answer is yes https://www.stateoig.gov/system/files/lig_oir_q2_mar2020_gold_508_0513.pdf
I've spoken to multiple fighters in the factions (termed TSO, "Turkish Supported Opposition"), Military Police personnel & civilians living under the rule of these factions. According to all of them, the answer is resoundingly negative.
The human rights abuses of these factions are rampant & well-documented, ranging from extra-judicial killings, rape, torture, pillaging, child recruitment, operating protection rackets, kidnappings for ransom, smuggling of drugs, humans and weapons https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2019/11/27/who-are-turkeys-proxy-fighters-in-syria/
While low-ranking fighters are occasionally brought before tribunals, none of the sources knew of a single commander who was brought before trial, even though they are the ones profiting the most from protection rackets & pillaging. For example, by renting stolen homes in Efrîn.
A member of the Military Police in Efrîn explained that his force, created to reign in the factions, is significantly weaker than any of the factions and can not afford to go against them, as it would endanger the lives of the MPs. In addition, the MP itself carries out abuses.
During the "Peace Spring" Operation the factions carried out several extra-judicial killings, a few of them while filming themselves.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/11/27/syria-civilians-abused-safe-zones They also carried out extensive and systematic looting of the areas occupied by them https://twitter.com/Elizrael/status/1255231706958872576
https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/11/27/syria-civilians-abused-safe-zones They also carried out extensive and systematic looting of the areas occupied by them https://twitter.com/Elizrael/status/1255231706958872576
Multiple sources told me that they are aware of only *a single case* of prosecution for crimes committed during the "Peace Spring" Operation. 19-year-old Mohammad al-Okla from Ahrar a-Sharqiya, who was charged with the highly publicized extra-judicial killings on the M4 highway.
According to an Ahrar a-Sharqiya member who was present at the scene of both the shooting of the bound prisoner & the execution of Havrin Khalaf on the M4 highway, Mohammad was the one documented shooting at a bound prisoner with a sniper rifle. Video: https://twitter.com/Elizrael/status/1183062803197939714
International law also prohibits child recruitment. Turkish-backed factions recruit children to fight in Syria & Libya https://stj-sy.org/en/turkeys-recruitment-of-syrian-mercenaries-to-fight-in-libya-process-and-legal-consequences/
Following this recent @STJ_SYRIA_ENG report, the National Army announced that it let go all minor fighters https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/386335
Following this recent @STJ_SYRIA_ENG report, the National Army announced that it let go all minor fighters https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/386335
In reality, children continue to fight in the ranks of the factions. A 15-year-old fighter with Sultan Murad Brigade in Ras al-Ayn told me nothing changed after the announcement. He's been with the group for 8 months, receives 450-500 TL ($66-73) every 50 days (~$1.4 daily)
The boy serves as a guard of the military college in Ras al-Ayn because his older brothers are with Sultan Murad & set him up with this safer position. He joined solely for the salary (he has 11 siblings), like the overwhelming majority of the Turkish-backed fighters.
He said: "everyone in Sultan Murad checkpoints are under 18, guys who have quit their studies, don't know how to read & write. Many are my age and even younger... There isn't a single commander who didn't register his kid & put him up as a guard to get the salary"
"Many [kids] quit too because conditions are harsh & guard shifts are long. Sometimes commanders deduct half of the salary or steal all of it, saying it's punishment because we violated the rules. They just look for an excuse, like saying you did not show up to shifts on times"
Turkey demanded from faction commanders not to recruit children. All IDs of fighters indeed show they are 18 & above. In reality, human resource officers with the factions use IDs of older men to register the kids, usually fighters who were with the faction & quit.
These are just 2 examples for the lack of accountability for the crimes of these factions. Their ability to continue to pillage, terrorize the population, operate black sites where they torture and rape detainees all attest to the impunity afforded to them.
Turkey is an occupying force of northern Aleppo and the "Peace Spring" areas - it has bases throughout them & runs civilian affairs too (the SIG is merely the executing body without decision-making power). As an occupying force is has the obligation to uphold law & order.
Turkey is also the one deciding which factions will operate where, when and where to launch offensives and when to stop them, what to do with POWs (regime soldiers were released despite opposition of fighters, SDF detainees taken to Turkey to stand trial).
Turkey is capable of significantly curtailing these abuses because it is the one paying the factions. The east Syria factions have been killing each other for months. Then Turkey threatened to cut off their salaries & peace prevailed https://twitter.com/Elizrael/status/1260641715964325889
Over 1.8 million Syrians, hundreds of thousands of them displaced, are living under the control of these factions. While Kurds & Yazidis suffer particular abuses, all civilians in these areas are affected by the predation. They all deserve better.
