People in Syria's Afrin storm electricity distribution company in protest against Turkey

Photos: MA

Click to read the article in Turkish

People in Afrin, a Kurdish town in northwestern Syria under the control of the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), stormed the building of an electricity distribution company on Friday (June 3), following consecutive price hikes and power cuts up to 10 hours a day.

Siga, a news agency close to the SNA, reported that the protests were caused by "anger at poor service," according to a translation by Gazete Duvar.

The crowd stormed the building of the STE Energy, a company reportedly affiliated with Turkey, and set the building on fire, the Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reported.

Videos circulated on social media showed people storming a building named "city council." A sign on a wall in the building read "Afrin Civil Registry Directorate" in Turkish.

Also, protesters were heard chanting slogans, "Syria is a free country, Turks must leave."

Afrin, Mare, Suvran ve El Bab’ta elektrik zamları ve hayat pahalılığı gerekçesi ile Türkiye kontrolündeki yerel yönetim binalarının bazılarının basıldığı bazılarının yakıldığı iddia ediliyor. https://t.co/nrx6NcpTYw

— Musa Özuğurlu (@musaozugurlu) June 3, 2022

Commenting on the incidents for Rudaw, journalist Musa Özuğurlu said the protests occurred as a result of a "longstanding malaise."

"It can't just be about the increase in electricity prices," he said.

Pointing out the "civil registry" sign, Özuğurlu said Turkey wants to "become permanent" in the region. "We observe that there is a situation where there is no agreement with the Syrian government or local dynamics."

"There is no difference between the presence of the Syrian government or Turkey there. Because we see that none of the problems of the people in the region are  solved.

"Democracy has not come to the region at all. Children do not go to schools and people do not go to work easily.

"Those who supported Turkey because it opposes the Syrian administration saw this after a while. The honeymoon is over now. So, such unrest will increase.

"Throughout this period, the slogan 'Turkey, get out of Syria' was heard for the first time."

Electricity bills are "soaring" in Syria

Similar protests also happened recently in other regions controlled by Turkey-backed groups such as Azaz, Al-Bab, Soran, Akhtarin and Marea, journalist Fehm Taştekin wrote in a column article today (June 6).

He noted that the protests coincided with Turkey's statements about a new military operation in northern Syria. "

"In the demonstration held in Al-Bab in January, people criticized the local administration council for not protecting the interests of the people and wanted the end of the Turkish company's cartel in 'liberated areas.'

"The reason was the same: Increasing prices, power cuts up to 12 hours, neglect, and the failure to eliminate malfunctions and problems in infrastructure.

"As electricity bills are soaring in Turkey, they are soaring in Syria as well. The price of electricity in Idlib, which was 0.68  lira in November 2020, increased to 1.9  lira in January, 2.6  lira in February, and 3.30  lira at the end of May. The price determined by Ak Energy in Azaz is 2.45  lira at the first level and between 3-4.5  lira at the second level.

"Also, the Turkish lira has been put into circulation there, instead of the Syrian lira. People are on the edge of their seats as the value of the lira decreases."

What happened in Afrin?

The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) took control of Afrin in mid-2012 following the withdrawal of Syria's army.

In January 2018, Turkey and its allied groups, including the Syrian National Army, launched the "Operation Olive Branch" to capture the city.

By March 26, 2018, Turkey and the SNA had captured "282 villages and 50 strategic locations," including the Afrin city center.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 584 members of the PYD, the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), 91 soldiers of Syria, 604 SNA members and 85 soldiers of Turkey were killed. (SD/VK)