In the village of Kurzêlê Cûmê in the countryside of Afrin, northern Syria, Kurdish farmers were subjected to the robbery of their olive crops. The incident, which occurred on the morning of Wednesday, October 8, 2025, was documented, showing a group of settler women, accompanied by their children, gathering and stealing the olive harvest belonging to the original villagers. This took place amid apparent inaction by the security forces to intervene and stop these looting operations.
Documentary Information about the Incident
Date: October 8, 2025.
Location: The village of Kurzêlê Cûmê, affiliated with the Afrin region in northern Syria.
Victims:
Identity: Kurdish farmers, the indigenous people of the region.
Losses: Theft of the olive harvest, which represents a primary source of livelihood for them.
Perpetrating Party:
Description: A group of settler women (referring to families resettled in the area after its occupation).
Identity: Settlers who were transferred to the area following the control of Turkish forces and allied factions over Afrin in March 2018.
Additional Notes:
The perpetrators passed through checkpoints belonging to the so-called Syrian Transitional Government (the Turkish-backed administration) without being stopped or held accountable.
The local police forces (affiliated with the aforementioned administration) refrained from intervening despite official instructions prohibiting theft and obligating them to protect the crops.
