Türkiye
Executions, mass arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearances characterised the daily life of Syrians under the Assad regime, particularly during the 13-year civil war. Less discussed and acknowledged, but no less characteristic of this drawn-out conflict, was the systematic and widespread use of sexual violence.
Committed by both the Syrian regime and other warring parties, sexual violence was perpetrated indiscriminately against women, men, and children throughout the conflict, and was especially prevalent in detention settings.
In 2020, we partnered with the Association of Detainees and Missing of Sednaya Prison (ADMSP) and the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) to build an interim reparative measures project with 821 survivors of Syrian detention living in the Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Mersin, and Hatay regions of southern Türkiye.
The project was the first time GSF had worked directly with a refugee community. At the outset, survivors cited the loss of family and friends, traumatic memories of war and detention, and the fear of deportation as major challenges they faced. More than 70 per cent experienced several symptoms of PTSD.
I was very broken, but thanks to them, I became human again.
2020
WORK BEGAN
2024
PROJECT ENDED
821
SURVIVORS PARTICIPATED
4
LOCATIONS
Interim reparative measures co-created with survivors
Compensation for a livelihood project or financing for education at a formal institution;
Medical, psychosocial and psychological care;
Legal support.
Survivors also chose to create podcasts and web articles as their collective reparative measures. For many, particularly men, this was the first time they had ever publicly spoken of what they suffered.
From June 2022 to September 2024, we followed 132 survivors in evaluating the impact of the project on their lives. Survivors led the process, and described the interim reparative measures as “a source of new hope and recognition.” Following the 2023 earthquake which killed more than 53,000 people, GSF and partners also distributed emergency financial payments to over 500 survivors, allowing them to regain some stability in the midst of such destruction.
Survivors highlighted the positive impact of the measures on their socio-economic conditions and mental health. Many started their own ventures and reported a renewed sense of dignity.
For me, the reparative measures project was positive on all levels. On a psychological level, it made me feel that someone understood my situation and my suffering.
The impact of the project is made clear in our 20-minute documentary, following eight survivors across southern Türkiye as they speak about how interim reparative measures have changed their lives.
The end of our project coincided with the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. At our closing event in Gaziantep, survivors and their families came together with project partners, and local and international organisations for a powerful moment of reflection on the project’s impact, and the collective dream of rebuilding a peaceful Syria.
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