PKK drug lord leads luxe life amid Afrin battle

Leaders of PKK terrorist group which kidnap children in Iraq, Syria and Turkey live in luxurious villas. One of these leaders is Abdo Hayr, a so-called commander for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Syria’s Afrin who has many drug fields, poison factories and hundreds of terrorists linked to him. The profits he obtains sustains his lavish lifestyle.

Hayr employs children between the ages of 13 and 18 at the eight drug factories he has across Afrin. Hayr, who runs hundreds of acres of drug plantation and harvesting operations in Dikmetaş, Jindaris, Rajo and Deyrisuvan, is known for his classic car collection and owns a farm of pedigree horses.

Yeni Şafak obtained photographs of Abdo Hayr, who maintains his extravagant lifestyle despite the ongoing battle in Afrin.

Hayr, who is one of the figures heading the drug ring that stretches from Afrin to South Africa, is known for his torture of militants he orders to carry out executions.

He played a key role during the period of cooperation between the PKK and Syrian regime, and was involved in convincing over 500 PKK terrorists to move from Aleppo to Afrin.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to clear PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin, northwestern Syria.

According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkey’s borders and the region as well as to protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty.

Turkish troops and Free Syrian Army (FSA) units that are conducting Operation Olive Branch have shut off all routes the terrorists used for drug and people smuggling. Top PKK figures ordered Hayr to find a new route.

Hayr tried to transport narcotics from the Euphrates region along the Kaibe and Azaz-Sijju line to Mersin-Taşucu. However, precautions taken by Turkey thwarted Hayr’s plans.

FSA forces in the Öncüpınar and Jarabulus regions enabled Turkish security forces to seize millions of narcotic pills and poison.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.

French news agency reporter George Ourfalian posted a photograph of terrorist groups linked to the Syrian regime and captioned it: “Militias entering Afrin’s center.”

Ourfalian circulated misinformation, and AFP was forced to later correct his claim. The agency amended Ourfalian’s claim to read: “Hundreds of Syrian pro-regime fighters arrived in Afrin on Tuesday.”

On social media, it was observed that Ourfalian, who shared poses with the celebrated journalist of the Syrian regime Shadi Hilwa, frequently visited and established close relations with Assad regime troops.

Photographs show that Ourfalian is close to the regime and operates as a regime journalist. Ourfalian also has various photographs with Syrian regime soldiers beside tanks and bases.