Turkey's airstrikes in Syria leave one million people without electricity A Turkish offensive in drought-stricken northeastern Syria ha...

 Turkey's airstrikes in Syria leave one million people without electricity

A Turkish offensive in drought-stricken northeastern Syria has left nearly half a million people without electricity, a move that experts say violates international law.

Turkey carried out more than 100 strikes on the country's oil, gas and energy facilities between October 2019 and January 2024, according to figures compiled by the BBC.

The attacks have added to the already dire situation for people in the region after years of civil war and a severe drought caused by climate change.

Water shortages are already worsening, but attacks on power plants in October last year destroyed the region's main water source at Alouk, which has since been shut down. The BBC has found that people in the area are suffering from water shortages during two visits to the site.

Turkey said it was "targeting the financial resources" of Kurdish separatists it described as terrorists.

It said the region was suffering from a severe drought, adding that the neglect and abandonment of water facilities had exacerbated the situation.

AANES, also known as Rojava, has previously accused Turkey of trying to "destroy people's lives."

More than a million people live in Hasaka, who previously relied on water from Alouk, but now rely on water from a source 12 miles away.

Hundreds of tankers bring water in every day, and the water authority focuses on schools, orphanages, hospitals and those most in need.

But there is still not enough water for everyone.

In Hasaka, the BBC saw people lining up to fill water tankers and begging tanker drivers to give them water. “Water is more important than gold here,” said Ahmad al-Ahmed, a water tanker driver, adding, “People need more water. There is nothing they need more than water.”

Some people are even fighting over water, with one woman threatening, “If (the driver) doesn’t give me water, I will burst the tire.”

“Let me tell you, northeast Syria is in dire need of aid,” said Yayha Ahmed, director of the regional water supply agency.

The people living in the area have been caught between the civil war and the conflict between Turkey and Kurdish forces, who established the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in 2018 after — with US support — driving out jihadist groups such as IS from the region. The alliance is still working to prevent IS from regrouping.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared the AANES - which is not recognised by the international community - a "terrorist" group near its borders.

Turkey, the European Union, Britain and the United States have designated the PKK as a terrorist organisation.

Between October 2023 and January 2024, three power stations in the AANES region were attacked: Amouda, Qamishli and Darbasiyah, as well as the region's main power station, Swadiyah.

The BBC has confirmed the damage using satellite imagery, eyewitness accounts, video footage, reports and field visits.

Satellite images of the night before the January 2024 attacks show the severity of the power outage. "On 18 January, the power outage was very apparent in the area," said Ranjay Shrestha, a Nasa scientist who analysed the images.

The United Nations says Turkish forces have carried out attacks in Swadiyah, Amuda and Qamishli, while aid groups say Turkey is responsible for the attack on the Darbasiyah port.

Turkey says it is targeting the PKK, the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).

The YPG is the main US-backed militia in the country, and is the military wing of the PYD, which is the main opposition party.

"Civilians and their infrastructure are not among the targets we target," Turkey told the BBC in a statement.

But in October last year, the country's foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said that "all assets and energy bases" belonging to the PKK and YPG - particularly in Iraq and Syria - were "worthy of being targeted", especially their soldiers, security forces and intelligence services.

The region's problems have been exacerbated by climate change.

Since 2020, severe drought has affected northeastern Syria and parts of Iraq.

Over the past 70 years, the temperature in the Tigris region has increased by at least two degrees Celsius (36F), according to European Union statistics.

In the past, Hasaka was supplied with water by the Khabour Sea, but the sea has receded, which has

The locals returned to seeking water from the Alouk Sea.

But in 2029, Turkey seized control of the Ras Al-Ain area, where the Alouk Sea is located, saying it would establish a "safe zone" to protect the country from what it described as terrorist attacks.

Two years later, the United Nations expressed concern about the frequent shortages of water from the Alouk to northeastern Syria, saying there had been at least 19 water cuts.

Then in February 2024, a report by an independent UN agency said that the October 2023 attacks on power plants could amount to war crimes because they deprived civilians of access to clean water.

The BBC shared some of its findings with international lawyers.

"Turkey's attacks on energy facilities are having a devastating impact on civilians," said Aarif Abraham, a lawyer at Doughty Street Chambers, adding: "The attacks could be a clear violation of international law."

Patrick Kroker, a senior lawyer at the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights, said, "There are clear signs of violations of international law in these attacks, and there is a need to investigate and hold those responsible accountable."

The Turkish government said it "absolutely respects international law," adding that the 2024 UN report did not provide "any solid evidence" of the allegations.

It blamed climate change and "the destruction of water infrastructure" for the region's water shortage.

Residents of Hasaka told the BBC they had been ignored.

Osman Gaddo, head of the water testing department at the center, said, "We made many sacrifices - many of us died in the war. But they didn't bother to bring us food. We just asked for drinking water."