Turkish military base prevents Sheikhourzeh al-Fawqaniyah residents from returning home

Since the Turkish state and its affiliated armed factions took control of the Afrin region in 2018, the Turkish military has established a number of military bases in several villages across the area.

Among these bases, the military base established in the village of Sheikhourzeh al-Fawqaniyah, in the Bulbul district of Afrin, remains in place to this day and has not been evacuated.

Despite the Turkish state's withdrawal of several military bases in Afrin in recent months, the base located in Sheikhourzeh al-Fawqaniyah remains operational, preventing the village's residents from returning to their homes.

A resident of the village, who requested anonymity, said that the Turkish military base in the village had not been evacuated, but that the forces stationed there had merely been replaced.

He added that units from the Turkish army’s special forces, equipped with heavy weapons, had arrived at the military base in the village.

The same source confirmed that the Turkish military base remains present in Sheikhourzeh al-Fawqaniyah, preventing residents from returning to their homes.

Many displaced people seeking to return to Afrin continue to face obstacles preventing their return to their villages and homes due to the ongoing presence of families affiliated with armed factions and military bases belonging to the Turkish state.