Al-Liyan residents demand return of lands seized under Arab Belt Project

Landowners in the Al-Liyan area in the Çil Agha countryside in the Jazira region continue to demand the return of their agricultural lands, which were confiscated during the rule of the former Baath regime under the Arab Belt project. These lands were allocated to families relocated from the Tabqa and Raqqa regions after the construction of the Euphrates Dam. These families became known locally as “al-Ghamr,” referring to those whose lands were submerged by the Euphrates waters.

Residents stress that the recovery of their lands is part of restoring rights they were deprived of for decades. They call for ending Legislative Decree No. 93 and adopting a new Syrian constitution based on justice and equality that guarantees the rights of all components.

Policies that began with the exceptional census

Residents point out that their suffering dates back to the exceptional census conducted in Hasakah province on October 5, 1962, which led to the deprivation of Syrian nationality for large numbers of Kurdish citizens. This was followed by other policies, including the confiscation of agricultural lands under the Arab Belt project.

According to the residents, Legislative Decree No. 93 was implemented, leading to the relocation of families from areas flooded by the Euphrates Dam in Tabqa and Raqqa to Kurdish villages in the Jazira, granting them agricultural lands that originally belonged to local inhabitants.

Calls to complete the restoration of rights

Residents believe that the fall of the Baath regime has opened the door to addressing long-standing issues. They note that issuing Decree No. 13, which restored citizenship to stateless persons, is an important step. However, they stress that the issue of agricultural lands still requires a legal and constitutional solution to return rights to their original owners.

Landowners are demanding the cancellation of the legal effects of Decree No. 93, the end of settlement resulting from the Arab Belt project, and the return of lands to their original owners.

Al-Liyan: one of the most affected areas

The Al-Liyan area, known for its fertile soil and its location in Syria’s first agro-ecological stability zone, is among the regions most affected by the Arab Belt project. Residents say hundreds of hectares of agricultural land were confiscated across 14 villages, including Kishk, Ala Qous, Kandak Shallal, Sikerka, Musa Kora, Nabi Sadi, Otba, Qashtaban, Kharab Rash, Qashto, Dirona Qalinka, Tawkal, as well as Ma’shouq, Kile Hasnak, and Kardim.

According to figures cited by residents, some villages lost hundreds of hectares, while in others the confiscated areas exceeded 1,000 hectares.

“We lost both land and citizenship”

Ibrahim Darwish (65), from the village of Tawakkol, says he lost around 30 hectares of his land after the implementation of the project, adding that the damage was not limited to land loss but also included being stripped of his Syrian citizenship.

He explained that this had a major impact on his social and economic life, forcing him to migrate in search of work to support his family. He noted that for years they were unable to claim their rights due to the loss of documents proving their citizenship.

He added that the current phase should witness the return of lands to their rightful owners and the cancellation of all decisions linked to the Arab Belt project.

“The new constitution must restore rights”

For his part, Jamal Sheikhi, from the village of Kishk, said he lost around 15 hectares of his land, considering that the Arab Belt project aimed to change the demographic structure of the region by depriving Kurdish residents of their land and identity and pushing them toward migration.

He noted that the fall of the Baath regime has not yet ended the effects of those policies, as the lands remain outside the control of their original owners. He called for accelerating the drafting of a new constitution that restores rights to their owners and guarantees equality among all Syrian components.

He added that any constitution that does not address these issues will not achieve the desired justice for those affected.

“Our rights are not against anyone”

In turn, Basil Darwish said he lost 13 hectares of his land, stressing that their demands are not directed against the rights of any other party but aim to restore their own rights that were taken during Baath Party rule.

He emphasized the need to end the decree that granted lands to the “al-Ghamr,” and to return rights to their owners within a legal and constitutional framework that ensures justice and equality for all Syrians.

Background of the Project

The Arab Belt project was based on a proposal by the nationalist officer Mohammed Taleb Hilal. It called for establishing a belt of Arab settlements along the border strip with northern Kurdistan in an area known as the “Tenth Line” in the Jazira region. This was done by settling “al-Ghamr” families among Kurdish villages and granting them agricultural lands that originally belonged to local residents.

The aim of the project was to alter the demographic composition of the region and dispossess Kurdish residents of their land. This has led to social and economic consequences that continue to this day, prompting Kurdish communities to demand the permanent closure of this file as part of any future political or constitutional settlement.

ANHA