Thousands of Syrians who took refuge in Turkey, escaping from the PKK’s Syrian affiliate People’s Protection Units’ (YPG) brutalities, are looking forward to an upcoming Turkish military offensive to the east of the Euphrates, seeing it as a hope to return to their homes after years of displacement.
Last week’s announcement of the Turkish military operation aiming to liberate the east of Euphrates from terrorist elements is highly welcomed by Syrian refugees in Turkey, who underlined their expectation of returning to their hometowns. “If Turkey’s operation into the east of the Euphrates becomes successful, we, people of Tal Abyad and Raqqa can return to our cities,” a Syrian refugee told Sabah daily. “Turkey helps us a lot here, but we want to return to our country. [This operation’s announcement] made us happy and we will go back to our country when it is liberated,” another one added, with both expressing their enthusiasm.
Since 2011, Turkey has received a constant flow of displaced Syrians fleeing the conflict and their numbers have expanded from mere thousands to millions. Currently, there are more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, which is the highest number in the world. Over 475,000 of these Syrian refugees came from YPG-controlled areas of the war-torn country, while another 300,000 fled from the atrocities of the terrorist organization and took shelter in Iraq.
“Approximately 400,000 local people went to Turkey when Daesh attacked Ayn al-Arab and its adjacent areas. Even after four years, why can’t local people go back to their homes? Because they know that the YPG is terrorizing these areas,” Osman Milo, Turkey’s representative on the Syrian Kurdish National Council, said.
Pointing out that thousands of people returned to their homes following Turkey’s cross-border operations in Syria, Milo underscored that the same will happen after security is established east of the Euphrates.
Although the majority of the displaced are from Kurdish or Arab origins, there are also Turkmens among them, who also wish to return to their homes. Speaking on the matter to Daily Sabah, the head of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly, Muhammed Vecih Cuma, whose hometown is the northern province of Manbij, said there is no difference between the Bashar Assad regime, Daesh or the YPG in terms of brutality.
“They are using guns to oppress us. They are exacting money from the locals. Even my home in Manbij is currently occupied by YPG terrorists. The locals in Manbij had to leave the city since they couldn’t taken it anymore,” Cuma said, adding that at least 60,000 people have left Manbij so far and all are expecting to return as soon as possible.
“We all resisted Bashar Assad for our liberties. However, the YPG, [which replaced Assad’s forces in the region], acts in the same way,” he underlined, indicating that Turkey’s offensive will not only be a military operation but will also turn into a popular uprising since the locals are more than willing to resist the terrorists alongside the Turkish army.
The conflict in Syria that started in 2011 has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced more than 5 million people to flee, while more than 7 million are internally displaced. Refugees mainly took shelter in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, with Turkey hosting the largest number. Some have sought to reach Europe via the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, but hundreds have died en route to Greece and other littoral countries.
Previously, Turkey has conducted two offensives in northern Syria, Operation Olive Branch and Operation Euphrates Shield. The first was launched by Ankara to clear its borders of Daesh terrorists while the second to prevent the YPG’s ultimate plan of establishing an autonomous region in northern Syria by connecting the northwestern Afrin canton to the Kobani and Jazeera cantons in the northeast. Following the operations, Turkey has been also involving in efforts to rebuild the towns’ infrastructure, as well as health and educational institutions. Schools are being renovated and a hospital is being built. Turkey also helps local people build olive oil facilities in the town where agriculture is the main source of income for residents.
