The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria has released a new report accusing the Turkish state for continuing to target civilian areas in northern and eastern Syria. These attacks may amount to war crimes, according to the UN investigators.
The report, covering the period from January 1 to June 30, 2024, will be presented at the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Based on field investigations, interviews with 385 people, and satellite imagery, the report examines the political and economic situation in Syria, as well as human rights violations related to the ongoing conflicts. It pays particular attention to Turkish airstrikes against areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in areas occupied by Türkiye.
The report highlights that, since the beginning of the Syrian conflict, the country has been experiencing the largest humanitarian crisis in its history. Many areas continue to suffer attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, which could be qualified as war crimes. The document also highlights the lack of respect for the rule of law and the protection of civilians in several parts of the country, presenting cases of arbitrary arrests, torture, imposed disappearances, deaths in custody and forced displacement.
In addition, the report highlights an increase in military tensions in the region, particularly due to the conflict in Gaza. It notes an increase in Israeli airstrikes against Iranian officials in Syria and attacks by Iranian-affiliated groups on US bases. At the same time, attacks by Islamic State members have also increased significantly during the covered period.
The report details serious human rights violations in areas under Turkish control. It attests arrests, violence, confiscation of property and extortion, often carried out by armed groups affiliated with the Syrian National Army (SNA). Kurdish and Arab men and women arriving from areas controlled by the Syrian government or the Autonomous Administration have been regularly arrested and tried for their alleged affiliation with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The report also highlights the systematic use of torture, ill-treatment, and sexual violence in the occupied areas: Many detainees, mainly Kurdish, have been severely tortured, often blindfolded and handcuffed. Some have been transferred and interrogated by Turkish officials, also suffering torture during these interrogations.
Between 2018 and 2022, military police forces present in SNA detention centers in Afrin have been accused of sexual and gender-based violence. These allegations are still under investigation, according to the report. The document also reports cases of forced disappearances and deaths in custody, with some victims having been interrogated directly by the Turkish intelligence service (MIT).
The report concludes that SNA members have committed war crimes, including enforced disappearances, torture, inhumane treatment, and rape.
The UN report also denounces Turkish attacks targeting civilian areas in northern and eastern Syria, under the control of the Autonomous Administration. For example, on December 25, 2023, a Turkish airstrike targeted both military and civilian infrastructure, including a diabetes clinic in Kobane and an oxygen production facility in Qamishli.
On January 15, 2024, Türkiye again struck a power plant in Swediyah, in the Hasakah region, destroying turbines and worsening access to electricity for more than a million people. On March 31, 2024, Turkish airstrikes targeted several areas of Hasakah, shortly after the Autonomous Administration's announcement that elections would be held.
The report also documents an attack on 31 March 2024 on a village near Qamishli, when an ambulance bearing the symbol of the Kurdish Red Cross was targeted.
The UN experts concluded that Türkiye is responsible for not complying with its obligations under international law. They considered that some Turkish attacks were disproportionate, taking into consideration the huge harm they caused. These actions constitute potential violations of international humanitarian law and could amount to war crimes.
The direct targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as the attack on ambulances displaying a protected medical symbol, are examples of actions that could be qualified as war crimes, the report concludes.