Amnesty accuses Turkish forces of allowing Syrian armed groups’ rights abuses in Afrin

Amnesty International on Thursday accused Turkish forces of allowing Syrian armed groups to commit major rights abuses in the northern region of Afrin. Turkey and allied Syrian rebels seized control of Afrin earlier this year after a military operation dubbed ‘Olive Branch’ which ousted Kurdish militia. Amnesty said that, since the takeover, residents in Afrin had been “enduring a wide range of violations,” to which Turkish armed forces “turned a blind eye.” These violations include “arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and confiscation of property and looting,” according to Amnesty. A Turkish diplomatic source was quoted by AFP as saying there had been similar “untrue allegations” previously, but “information and documents have undermined” the veracity of the claims.