Displaced Sere Kaniye residents launch petition for safe return
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – As the sixth anniversary of the Turkish occupation of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) approaches, the Committee of Displaced People from Sere Kaniye launched a signature campaign on Saturday at al-Hawl Camp in Hasakah. The initiative is part of a series of activities demanding the safe return of residents to their homes.
Turkish forces and allied factions seized control of Sere Kaniye and Tal Abyad in northern Syria on October 9, 2019, forcing approximately 300,000 people to flee, according to figures from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Mahmoud Jamil, spokesperson for the Committee of Displaced People from Sere Kaniye, told North Press that this week includes several activities, starting with visits to displacement camps alongside the co-presidency of the Syrian Democratic Council to review the living conditions and needs of the displaced.
“The committee launched the signature campaign today, which will continue for two days. It will be submitted to the United Nations as a condemnation of the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries, and to demand our right to return safely and with dignity to our homes and properties,” Jamil said.
He added that on October 6, a protest will be held in front of the United Nations and the UN Refugee Agency offices, calling for pressure on Turkey and urging the international community to adhere to human rights charters and guarantee the return of residents to their city.
Jamil stressed that Article 4 of the March 10 Agreement stipulates ensuring the safe return of the displaced, yet “the Syrian government has not implemented this clause,” calling for its practical enforcement.
Alaa Ali, a displaced resident from Sere Kaniye, told North Press: “We demand the international community ensure a safe and occupation-free return.” He added: “All displaced people in other parts of Syria have returned to their homes, but those from Sere Kaniye have remained in camps for years.”
Ali also stressed that the March 10 Agreement had once raised significant hope among the displaced as a Syrian-Syrian agreement, “which was supposed to open the door for return. But the reality shows that the Turkish occupation remains in control, and the government that signed the agreement is unable to implement its provisions.”