Gangs have settled in the Demirler Farm in Reyhanlı. One worker talked about the situation in the farm and said the gang leaders speak Arabic among themselves to discuss Syria and don’t leave the building during the day unless absolutely necessary. The workers are not allowed to enter the compound with phones, cameras or any electronic devices and they are searched on their way out.

A worker in Demirler Farm (Reyhanli Inc.) in Reyhanli exposed the activities of Hatay’s biggest company and said leaders of armed groups with beards and turbans are staying in the villas in the farm.

DİHABER continues to publish articles on the border line their reporter Erdoğan Alayumat was able to send before he was detained and consequently arrested.

Alayumat’s article titled “Armed groups’ farm” includes the following:

COMPANY PROCURES ARMS AND LOGISTICS FOR GANGS

Reyhanli Inc. (also known as Demirler Farm) in the Reyhanli district of Hatay, which has been turned into headquarters for the war, is infamous for providing arms and logistical support for radical groups with the start of the Syrian civil war. The activity along the border line in recent weeks is reflected in the Reyhanli Demirler Farm, with AKP’s Hatay MP Fevzi Şanverdi among the partners, as high-ranking administrators of gangs like Al Nusra and Ahrar Al Sham are hosted in the farm.

PROFITING OF WAR

Reyhanli Inc. has been one of the companies that have profited the most from the war, handling the “shady” business for the MİT and the police over the farm for a long time. The farm, when viewed from outside, resembles a military barracks. Six years ago the farm was used to shelter animals mostly, but with the start of the war it grew rapidly, turning into one of the most profitable companies in Hatay in the last 6 years.

GANG LEADERS STAY IN VILLAS IN THE FARM

There are communal areas like a market and a mosque inside the farm compound, and the company also purchased neighboring plots. Luxury villas were built in place of the now-demolished huts that used to host the farm workers, and reports say leaders of gangs like Al Nusra and Ahrar Al Sham are staying in these villas. Neighbors of the farm say there is constant activity inside the farm compound, which has been out of commission for 3 years.

Reports of white colored vehicles being sent to Idlib where groups in the FSA have taken control have been published in the media, and the company was reported to have made millions of dollars this way. The company provided arms and logistical support for these groups for a long time, and with the recent increase in border activity, is seen to continue where they left off. The recently-built 3-story villas catch the eye in the farm compound, while the locals say the company’s owners and leaders from the Idlib region gangs stay in them. Same sources had also claimed the farm engaged in arms transport before. The sources say strangers with beards and turbans regularly stay in the villas in the farm.

FARM WORKER’S ACCOUNT

A member of the cleaning crew who wishes to remain anonymous claimed all the guests in the farm are gang leaders. The worker said these people are coming not just from Syria but from other cities in Turkey, and that he doesn’t know which cities they are from but they use armored vehicles when they go out. The men don’t leave the villas during the day unless absolutely necessary, don’t talk to the few workers in the farm and speak Arabic among themselves.

The worker said the gang leaders come together in the evenings to talk, and the subject of their discussions is mostly Syria. The worker also said they see new people in the farm all the time, and that the newcomers usually arrive at night. The workers are not allowed inside with phones, cameras or any other electronics: “A couple of months ago, a worker had his phone on him. When it was found out, the man was taken directly to the police station. We heard he was released afer a day in custody, but we never heard of him again.”

The worker said armed men stand guard outside the villas 24/7. The villas are also guarded by CCTV. Workers are allowed in following a detailed search, and allowed out after another detailed search when their shifts are over. When the cleaning crew go into the villas, armed men watch them constantly.