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Abu Amsha Imposes New Extortion System in "Shiyeh": Oil Detention and Farmer Exploitation
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The new olive tree taxation policy in Afrin reveals a systematic strategy to impoverish original residents, while taxes on expatriates reflect a calculated policy aimed at severing displaced people's
Activists from Afrin monitored a dangerous escalation in violations by the "Sultan Suleiman Shah" militia leader known as Abu Amsha in Sheikh Hadid district, through imposing a new extortion system targeting olive crops.
Activists reported that new instructions require village heads and olive press operators to detain farmers' production until payment of the illegal "oil tax," in a move reflecting escalating organized looting policies.
According to local sources, extortion values imposed on residents vary between one dollar per tree in plain areas and half a dollar in mountainous regions, while expatriates are forced to pay 25 dollars per tree.
Human rights activists explain these practices fall within a systematic policy followed by the Turkish occupation and its militias since taking control of Afrin in 2018, where residents faced various violations, from crop theft and tree cutting to forest burning and arbitrary detention and kidnapping for ransom.
Observers revealed that Afrin's olive sector, comprising more than 18 million trees, faces a fierce attack aimed at destroying the region's economy and impoverishing its original inhabitants, with sector losses estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Local sources indicated that Turkish-backed militias control most olive presses in the region, using various extortion methods, including crop confiscation, imposing royalties, and forcing farmers to sell their production at low prices.
Regional activists confirm these policies aim to displace remaining original inhabitants, noting that displaced people from Afrin exceeded 75% of its original Kurdish population since Turkish occupation began.
Human rights reports indicate that Turkish-backed militias seized thousands of hectares of olive lands, distributing them to their members and families of "settlers/recruits" brought from other areas.
Regional rights advocates call on the international community for urgent intervention to stop these violations and hold those responsible accountable, emphasizing the necessity of ending Turkish occupation and restoring rights to their legitimate owners.
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