A Bird’s Eye of Life Under Occupation in Kurdish Syria
What does satellite imagery illuminate about Turkish activity and oppression in Northwestern Syria?
The promise of the new year rings hollow in Afrin, Syria. The city groans under the weight of displaced families, its iconic olive trees – items of great cultural and financial significance – vanish like forgotten resolutions, and trucks laden with cherished ancient artifacts disappear into the northern horizon.
Critics of the occupation force “disappear”, sexual assaults go unpunished, and families are shaken down for the last remnants of their wealth by aggressive foreign mercenaries. While much of Syria celebrates the fall of Bashar Al-Assad and their new found freedoms, the Kurds of the Northeast watch listlessly from afar. The anniversary of the region’s occupation is nearing seven years – with no end in sight.

The Turkish and “Syrian National Army” (SNA) invasion and occupation of Northeastern Syria in Spring of 2018 has left deep scars across the once autonomous region. Beyond anecdotes of theft, torture, murder, and repression of Kurdish identity, the impacts on the region’s environment, culture, and demographics can even be seen from space, and by you below:
The following sections detail evidence gathered from geospatial analysis
For background on the occupation’s history, click here for a CFR provided overview or here for the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights account of atrocities
Environmental Destruction & Deforestation
According to Kurdish journalists, the SNA have felled an astounding 21 million trees in the region. Alarming reports of mass deforestation are corroborated by archival satellite images which detail the decimation of local olive groves in Afrin and forest along the banks of the Maydanki reservoir among others. As can be seen above, Afrin’s main olive grove has been decimated and is now the site of hundreds of refugee tents of displaced peoples, mainly from other provinces. However, with Assad’s removal, many of these refugees may depart Afrin in the near future to return to Ghouta, Homs, Hama and elsewhere. Nevertheless, the lasting impact of the grove’s destruction, which once served as a fruitful source of local income, pride, and beauty, will continue to haunt the city for decades to come.
Forests across the region have been felled by SNA authorities and collaborators. On the banks of the once idyllic Maydanki, thousands of trees have been cut for profit against the will of local inhabitants. One local stated to a Syrian outlet, “everything in the forest has fallen silent. There is no rustling of trees. The birds have gone. It is as though they uprooted our hearts by cutting down the trees”. Environmental experts warn that the deforestation may alter the local environment permanently.
Archaeological Destruction & Looting
Ain Dara is one of the most important archeological sites in the Levant with iron age artifacts dating as far back as 1300 BCE. Numerous well preserved sphinxs, lions, and intricate Syro-Hittite designs once made the site a top attraction and a source of enormous local pride.
During Operation Olive Branch, the site was reported to have suffered significant damage from Turkish warplanes which bombed the location incessantly. In quite a literal case of adding insult to injury, the site's emblematic lion was looted from the in December 2019. The ancient lion’s whereabouts remain unknown. Since then, as can be seen by the satellite imagery above, massive excavations have taken place. It is quite possible that most — if not all — of Ain Dara’s ancient wonders have been pilfered and sold to the highest bidders.


The images above depict one of more than a dozen documented sites which appears to have been excavated and looted.
Human Displacement
Daily life in Afrin has changed dramatically over the last six years following Olive Branch and the exodus of 300,000 Kurds from the region. The remaining Kurds have had their identity and language suppressed in schools and public life, citizens have been arbitrarily arrested and abused, and the city’s demographics have been rapidly altered.
Afrin’s population has reportedly more than doubled from 200,000 to 500,000. Kurdish rights groups believe this is a deliberate and cynical attempt by Turkey to “Arabize” or restructure the demographics of the region to favor Arabs over Kurds. Turkey has deflected those claims, insisting that the removal of tens of thousands of displaced Syrians to the region has been a necessity to alleviate domestic pressure. (Turkey took in roughly 3.2 million Syrian refugees displaced by the war, several hundred thousand have since returned). Whether or not the refugees are a pawn in a demographic game, their presence in the city has been overwhelming and has dramatically reshaped it’s borders, public spaces, and infrastructure. For residents and refugees, daily life appears to be very challenging.
The fall of Assad and the potentially stabilizing effect of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule has spurred a large number of these refugees to leave Afrin for their original homes. However, as the satellite imagery depicts, over the years many of these tents have become tiny homes equipped with walls, courtyards, roads, and perhaps even sewage systems. Many of these refugees may come to find their homes in other provinces have been destroyed or are occupied by others and may ultimately opt to remain in Afrin. Kurds who have sought refuge elsewhere and wish to return to Afrin will face similar obstacles, and are unlikely to garner any sympathy from SNA authorities.

2025: A Year of Consequence for Rojava
The plight of Afrin and the surrounding area under SNA occupation is extremely relevant in this moment. The fall of Assad, the posturing of Erdogan, and the rise of Trump indicate that a massive offensive — dwarfing Operation Olive Branch — may come to fruition in early 2025.
Last week, Turkey’s Foreign Minister provided an ultimatum and threatened a large “military operation” against Rojava (the Kurdish region of Syria) if their demands were not met. The comments were made in the wake of Turkish forces assisting the SNA in December in a flash offensive to capture the city of Manbij from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Numerous atrocities have been reported in this recent onslaught including rape, arbitrary killings, and torture.
Although the SDF have launched a successful counter offensive to recapture the crucial Tishreen Dam above the Euphrates, the situation is far from stabilized and Manbij remains under occupation. While the SNA engages in daily battles against the SDF within Syria, Turkey has amassed troops and vehicles near Kobane, a border city which gained worldwide attention due its heroic stand against ISIS in 2015.
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Without a hasty union of the leading Syrian factions — the HTS and the Kurdish SDF — which could deter invasion, renewed Turkish incursion appears imminent. Syrian solidarity appears quite unlikely for the time being as the HTS has stated that autonomous regions like Rojava must bend to their new Syria and the SDF have raised alarm over submitting to what they consider a patriarchal and extremist state in Damascus.
“With the same mentality that governs Syria once again, it is clear that we are facing another extermination. The path for women is self-defense. As the Women’s Protection Units and the SDF, if we cannot protect ourselves, we will face the most dangerous attacks. Every woman whose heart beats for freedom must fight and protect her region and homeland.” - Rohilat Afrin, General Command of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ)
Trump, whose wavering support of the Kurds and attempt to withdraw from Syria is credited with inspiring Operation Olive Branch back in 2018, appears very unlikely to stand up to Turkey. In past days, Trump has hailed Erdogan’s leadership saying:
Nobody knows what the final outcome is gonna be in the region. Nobody knows who will rule in the final. I believe it is Turkey. Turkey (Erdogan) is very smart, he is a very smart guy and he’s very tough.
If Trump’s prophecy is accurate, and Turkish forces invade and occupy Rojava as they did in Afrin, one can expect numerous atrocities. Kurds will be oppressed, their culture will be banned and diluted, their olive groves will be wiped out, and their cherished cultural artifacts plundered.
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