Afrin under Turkish control : political, economic and social transformations

Abstract

This study examines how Turkey has transformed the administration of the Afrin region since the Turkish army established control over it in March 2018. The paper first discusses the security and military structures that Turkey has established to exert control over the region and the role played by Syrian opposition military factions. It then questions its local governance as a means of imposing facts on the ground through the establishment of a new Turkey-linked political class and efforts to tie local councils, civil society organisations and public services directly to Turkey. The paper also examines the demographic changes that took place during and after the battle for Afrin. It concludes with an examination of the rapid shifts in the local economy and Turkey’s economic strategy in this border region.