Abstract
This paper examines the right of displaced people of Afrin, in northwestern Syria, to return to their homes nearly eight years after “Operation Olive Branch”, launched by Turkey in 2018 with the participation of allied Syrian armed factions. The two-month-long offensive against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) led to the displacement of tens of thousands of original inhabitants from their city and villages.
The paper seeks to analyze the current political, security, and social situation in Afrin in light of the transformations the region has undergone in recent years—particularly with the growing influence of the Syrian transitional government and its affiliated General Security Service in local administration, despite Turkey’s continued direct control and the presence of competing local power centers. It also sheds light on the main challenges and obstacles preventing the return of displaced residents, including systematic human rights violations, kidnappings, extortion, and property seizures, alongside the absence of the legal and security guarantees necessary to ensure a safe and voluntary return.
The study also examines the roles and positions of the key actors involved, including the Syrian transitional government, the Turkish state and its affiliated military factions, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), the Kurdish National Council (KNC), and relevant international and local human rights organizations.
Ultimately, the paper aims to develop a realistic policy approach that enhances the prospects for a voluntary, safe, and dignified return of Afrin’s displaced people. It proposes a set of policy recommendations and practical measures that take into account the political, legal, and humanitarian dimensions of the issue and lay the groundwork for a sustainable process toward transitional justice, social reconciliation, and the restoration of rights within a comprehensive resolution to the Syrian conflict.
Introduction
The right of return to Afrin constitutes one of the most complex issues within Syria’s displacement crisis since 2011, due to the overlapping legal, political, and humanitarian dimensions of the matter and its direct connection to shifts in control in the country’s northwest. Following “Operation Olive Branch” in 2018, launched by Turkish forces and allied Syrian factions, tens of thousands of original inhabitants were forcibly displaced—turning Afrin into a microcosm of the broader challenges surrounding the right of return and property protection in areas outside the control of the former regime.
This paper seeks to assess the opportunities and challenges for the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of displaced Afrin people by analyzing both international and national legal frameworks. It also reviews the degree to which the current realities in Afrin align with relevant international standards, including United Nations resolutions, the Geneva Conventions, and the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Furthermore, the study outlines the key obstacles to return, such as demographic changes, the absence of legal and security guarantees, and political restrictions imposed by local and regional actors.
The central research question addressed by this paper is:
To what extent can the right of return for Afrin’s people be achieved amid the current security and political complexities? From this main question arise several sub-questions: What is the international legal framework governing return? What are the key obstacles preventing it? What roles do the various actors play? And what policy options exist to ensure a voluntary, safe, and dignified return?
