The governance structure of Turkish-controlled Afrin

Abstract

Since March 2018 Turkey and allied Syrian actors have controlled the Afrin region of northern Syria. The subsequent five years have been marked by acts of criminality and infighting incidents between the dozens of Turkish-backed militias in the region, an insurgency campaign, acts of terrorism, and dramatic demographic changes to the detriment of the region’s indigenous Kurdish population. This paper examines and outlines the Turkish-installed local governance structure, highlighting the relationships between Syrian civil and military actors and the various Turkish institutions present, what effects this regime has had on the region’s security situation, and it relates to broader Turkish policy within Syria.