People of Idlib: Turkey abandoning Idlib for the east of the Euphrates
Idlib – North-Press Agency
Aous al-Shami
A number of activists and residents of Idlib governorate have told North-Press their opinions regarding the forthcoming Turkish military assault on northeastern Syria, saying that Turkey has frustrated them, and it’s guided by its own interest.
The member of Hama Media Office, Shahoud al-Jadou, stressed that Turkey is looking for its interests in Syria, and that civilians and “liberated” areas are not of its concern.
He added that Turkey wants to get out of the Syrian-Turkish smolder in Turkey, and get the Syrians out of its territories and secure a safe zone, by placing a barrier of Arabs between “Turkey’s Kurdistan and Syria’s Kurdistan.”
“Turkey is suffering from its besieged observation point in Morek, north of Hama, which has been under the control of the Russian forces, as it’s ready to make all the concessions in northwestern Syria in exchange for the safety of its soldiers at the point,” said Hussein Abu Ezzo, a displaced person from Aleppo southern countryside in Idlib governorate.”
Melhem al-Zaher, another displaced person from northern Hama who lives in Saraqeb now, said: “it’s a shame that after losing large parts of the liberated areas in the countryside of Hama and Idlib to take the battle to northeastern Syria, and totally forget the occupied areas for months”.
While Radwan al-Hussein, a displaced person from north of Hama, said that “since the intervention of Turkish forces to our areas, we haven’t benefited anything, as they did not protect our areas from the advance of the regime forces, that have invaded the region undo full view of the Turks.”
“Even the National Army, which was recently formed, we wish that they would go and recover our villages and towns which we’ve lost, but unfortunately, the policy of the supporter (Turkey) prevents that,” he added.
“We do not want to exchange new areas in Idlib with areas east of the Euphrates, as happened before,” said Muhammad Howaish, a local journalist.
An IDP from Homs countryside, Ahmad al-Abdullah wished that all factions could have a unified stance, and not to give up any inch of Idlib in exchange for east of the Euphrates.
Mahmoud Abu Ras, from the southern countryside of Idlib, sees that the great loss of several areas in northern Hama and southern Idlib with Turkey’s silence, is a reflection of its satisfaction with the occupation of these areas by Russia and the Syrian government forces, in exchange for Turkey’s control of other areas in eastern Syria.
Regarding the participation of the National Army in this operation, he said: “The formation of this army was supposed to coincide with a massive military operation against the regime forces, whether in Aleppo, Hama, Idlib and Latakia.”