The drive from Benghazi to Derna, a port city in Eastern Libya is stunning. After passing through the al Kouf valley, the route continues past picturesque Greek ruins and down a coastal highway overlooking the vast, blue Mediterranean.
Al Hol camp in Northeastern Syria holds holds more than 68,000 mostly ISIS-linked detainees. The Investigative Journal has made three trips to the camp over the past several months.
An estimated 5000 Syrian mercenaries have been sent to Libya by Turkey to fight in support of Tripoli’s Government of National Accord (GNA) since December 2019.
As Syrian and Russian forces bombard Idlib and the Aleppo countryside, thousands of militants from the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA) who would presumably be defending these areas in Syria are instead in Libya.
When Turkish President Erdogan announced he would be sending men from the “Syrian National Army” to Libya to fight in support of the Government of National Accord (GNA), rumors among the Syrian opposition began to swirl.
On January 19th, the German government hosted the two main warring parties in Libya, the Libyan National Army (LNA), and the Government of National Accord (GNA),to discuss the implementation of a ceasefire.
Since Turkey launched attacks on Northeastern Syria in October 2019, locals have been boycotting Turkish goods. “Turkish goods become money, which become bullets, which kill our children and help Turkey occupy our lands.”
At a small grocery store in Derik, Syria, one dusty case of Sariyer soda water sits underneath a shelf. “The self-administration [of North and East Syria] gave us time to finish selling the Turkish products we had in stock, like this one,” said the store’s owner.
The sprawling al Hol camp in Hasakah, Syria is a grim sight in the dead of winter. Aylu*, a YPJ member (women’s protection units, a group of female fighters in Northeastern Syria), is one of the camp’s administrators. “The situation hasn’t changed much since you were here last,” she said.
When Turkey began bombing his village in Sere-Kaniye in October, Jamil Khabat, his wife, and their young songs fled their home. “This is the third time I’ve had to leave my home because of Turkish attacks,” he said. “The last time, Turkey opened the border crossing and let [the militants] in.” Khabat and his family are one of 50-60 staying at a school in Hasakah.
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