Some three million Syrians have had to migrate due to the war, and the Turkish state have been using them as blackmail material against European states since. Erdoğan has virtually taken EU countries hostage with the threat of opening the gates and sending the migrants to Europe, and now the migrants are forced to sign papers to be deported from Turkey. The migrants are handed over to gangs at the Idlib border gate.

H.E. who came to Turkey 5 years ago is one of the migrants forcibly deported by the state. He spoke to ANF about his experience and what he witnessed, starting with his arrest due to a problem with his ID. H.E. continued: “They arrested two of us because we didn’t have IDs, and took us to the Zeytinburnu police station. They tortured us in custody. We were there for 6 days. Then they said they would release us but we had to pay. We gave them the 12.000 Liras we had. Two days later, they said they would refer us to the foreigners office. When we were taken there, they made us sign some documents. Then they brought us back. They made us sign some other things and left us at Babhewa (the Idlib border gate). There were some 50 of us. There were families there too.

The Turkish state handed me over to gangs in Babhewa. They took us to a gang leader. During the investigation they said we weren’t Muslims and insulted us. They would stop us at checkpoints and confiscate our phones and money. I gave them 5.000 Syrian Liras and they gave me back my phone.

CROSSING INTO AFRIN

They took us to the Turkish commander. He claimed we came from within the PKK. They said the birthmark on my waist was a bullet wound. The gangs fought among themselves there. One gang member was killed. In the chaos, the Turkish commanders fled. We took advantage of the row and got on the car. We asked somebody to help us cross into Afrin. Then the gangs came. We paid them 40.000 Liras and crossed into Afrin.”

10 DAYS IN AFRIN

H.E. said they saw some terrible things in Afrin: “In Afrin, the Kurds are being tortured. Their property is confiscated. I stayed in Afrin for 10 days, I couldn’t go out much due to fear. They are seizing houses. They harass the women. They cut off women’s hands to get their gold. We were too afraid to say we were Kurdish. These things happen more in Shiye, Jindirese, Mabata, Sherawa and Shera. I don’t know if it happens in Bilbile, because I couldn’t go there. I couldn’t go to my own village because I didn’t know what they would do to me if I did.

ALL KINDS OF EVIL

The gangs go scouting in the day, look for whose house is richer, who has gold. Then at night they enter those houses. One month ago, they entered a woman’s home at night because she was wearing gold bracelets. They killed her husband and raped her. They cut off her arm for her gold. They shot at people when they came to help after hearing her cries. Then they took the woman and her two children away. We never heard from them again. The severed arm should still be in the house.”