A chart released by NetBlocks.org documenting the blackout in Syria on March 25.
A recent blackout of all communications in Syria, including internet access, was caused by Turkish “systematic technical operations” meant to tap into the country’s network, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) warned in a report released on March 29.
NetBlocks, which monitors network traffic in conflict zones, said early on March 25 that Internet access was completely interrupted in Syria. One the same day, Sham TV, a private satellite channel in Syria, reported that the blackout also impacted both major telecom providers, MTN and Syriatel.
Communications returned later in the day, with the Syrian Ministry of Communications blaming the blackout on sabotage operations that cut off two key optical fiber cables in the areas of Maaloula and Hasiya in the center of the country.
However, the SOHR, citing sources with knowledge on the matter, said that the outrage was in fact caused by the installation of Turkish spying devices on Syrian communication systems.
“The goal of this move is to monitor all forms of communication and data exchanged within Syrian territory, which raises serious concerns about privacy violations and escalating security threats to civilians, activists, journalists, and public servants,” the London-based monitoring group warned in its report.
The monitoring group noted that while this was not the first time Turkey attempted to penetrate the Syrian communication network, it was the first time this was done directly.
Such hands-on technical operations would be virtually impossible to conduct without the approval of the Syrian interim government, which is closely allied to Turkey.
Just a day before the blackout, activists from the Syrian coast, which was one of the most effected regions in the country, informed SouthFront of suspicious movements by government forces in one of the key communication centers in the city of Tartus. It is unclear however if these movements were linked to the blackout, or to the Turkish operations reported by the SOHR.
Government forces unleashed a deadly crackdown against the Alawite religious minority on the coast earlier this month. More than 1,600 civilians, mainly Alawites, were killed and tens of thousands others were displaced.
Due to this, the recent communication blackout led to panic on the coast, with some people even fleeing out of fear of another wave of violence.
In its report, the SOHR called on Syrians to avoid using mobile communications and rely on end-to-end encrypted messaging apps like Signal and Whatsapp with the use of a VPN [virtual private network] service.
The monitoring group called on the international community and human rights organizations to “take urgent action to pressure Turkey to halt its violations.”
It also demanded “the formation of an independent commission of inquiry to uncover the details of these operations” and warned of the consequences of “neglecting to protect civilians’ personal data, especially in light of the repeated targeting of activists and media professionals.”
Turkey, which led the work to overthrow the Assad regime since the outbreak of the violence in Syria more than a decade ago, is now working to solidify its influence in the country in cooperation with its new Islamists rulers. Controlling the communication network may be as important to Ankara as establishing permanent military bases in the country.
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