Jul 27, 2018

ALEPPO, Syria — The families of Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters who died in Operation Olive Branch — which resulted in the FSA seizing Afrin in northwest Aleppo from the People's Protection Units (YPG) on March 18 — have obtained death gratuity payments from the Turkish government.

Col. Moataz Erslan, the commander of the FSA's Elite Army in Aleppo countryside, told Al-Monitor that the Turkish government dispersed payments to the families of the fallen FSA militants July 1-19. He explained, “Each bereaved family obtained 60,000 Turkish liras (about $12,500) in addition to ongoing monthly payments of $100. There are also other benefits, such as being granted Turkish citizenship, but they have yet to be implemented and are still being examined in Turkey.”

Erslan noted, “I was one of those in charge in the gratuity committee, along with some others who are Turks. The payments took place in the city of Azaz in the northern Aleppo countryside. Each of the FSA factions presented us a list of its militants killed in the battle. There were 300 FSA militants killed in Operation Olive Branch. For those who were married, their widows obtained the gratuity, and the mothers or fathers of the single ones were given the money at the distribution office in Azaz.”

He explained that the Turkish government also plans to pay the families of fallen militants in Operation Euphrates Shield, conducted by the FSA and the Turkish army against the Islamic State in the northern and eastern Aleppo countryside in 2016. He said the FSA factions involved have not yet finished counting the dead.

Al-Monitor met Abdallah Bakour, the commander of the Levant Front, who said, “There are no figures on the number of FSA militants killed in Operation Euphrates Shield. We will do the count if the Turks ask for these figures, and we really hope that their families obtain gratuities like those in Operation Olive Branch.” He emphasized, “Nothing is certain in this regard so far, and we really hope to hear the news very soon.”