Disorders prevail in Syria’s Turkish-held areas
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Areas held by Turkish forces in Syria’s northwest are witnessing disorders in the fields of services and military in light of the deteriorating economic conditions.
Over the past days, cities of Azaz and Afrin, north Syria, have witnessed protests by teachers, who have gone on strike protesting against low wages.
Azaz – the entrance to the market of the city – North Press
In solidarity with the teachers on strike, a number of residents took to the street condemning “deteriorating living conditions” and organized a protest in front of the Directorate of Education in Afrin, Violations Documentation Center in North Syria VDC-NSY reported.
The teachers are demanding that their wages increase from 750 Turkish liras (about 80.37 US dollar) to 2,000 Turkish lira (about 214.33 US dollar).
The response to the teachers’ demand came through local councils, which are civil administrations in Turkish-held Syrian areas in northwest Syria.
The councils said, “We will dismiss any teacher, who does not end his strike by October 20, 2021,” according to VDC-NSY.
Parallel protests
Early last week, dozens of residents of the city of Idlib, northwest Syria, took to streets in a demonstration in al-Sa’a square condemning the unprecedented price hike of fuel and food products there.
The protesters raised slogans demanding the Salvation Government (the civil wing of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front), “to abstain from the policy of authoritarianism and sharing residents their livelihood,” local sources told North Press.
The protesters chanted slogans against the Salvation Government and the HTS leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, according to the same sources.
The Idlib city is witnessing a rise in the prices of fuel and food products, as Watad Petroleum Company raised the price of each household gas cylinder from 98 to 114 Turkish lira (12.38 US Dollar).
However, Watad tried to correct the issue by decreasing the price of each gas cylinder to 109 Turkish lira (about 11.66 US dollar) and later it was revealed that it had reduced the weight by about 1,2 kg.
Protesters raising banners condemning the price hike in Idlib – North Press
Meanwhile, local sources described this step by Watad as “a trick on the residents of Idlib” saying, “It was clear that the weight of gas cylinder has decreased so that it made doubled its profits.”
It seems that not only the service field is witnessing disorders, but also they emerged within the ranks of the Turkish-backed armed military factions.
On Monday evening, unknown armed attackers raided a headquarters of Jaysh al-Izza (Army of Glory) in the countryside of Idlib and they tied up the militants and stole everything there including weapons and communications equipment.
The armed individuals stole a military vehicle with GSh-23 that was parked in front of the headquarters of al-Hebesh, a prominent leader of Jaysh al-Izza, field sources told North Press.
Tension and disorders
Meanwhile, escalation of Russian flight, shelling of posts of the factions affiliated with Turkey, and targeting the outskirts of the Turkish posts with Turkey only threatening Syria’s north, have increased the anger of residents of Idlib against those factions and the Turkish guarantor.
Tension and disorders have emerged in relation among the factions themselves. On Tuesday, the city of Afrin witnessed a military alert between two military factions on the killing of an IDP of Rif Dimasheq.
A militant of the Turkish-backed al-Jabha al-Shamiya (Levant Front) shot directly an IDP of eastern Gouta and ran away, an eyewitness told North Press.
Jaysh al-Islam that is affiliated with Turkey set security checkpoints throughout the city in conjunction with alert by al-Jabha al-Shamiya, the eyewitness added.