ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Although he was about to complete maintenance processes of his textile mill in the northern countryside of Aleppo, the 39-year-old Samer Aqqad preferred to stop the maintenance and postpone the opening of the facility.
Six months ago, Aqqad started working on preparing his factory to re-operate it after nine years of halt due to running war in Syria.
What drove the industrialist to think of re-operating his factory is the state of stabilization the areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo have been witnessing for two years, especially after Syrian government forces took control over most of the area following the expulsion of the Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, also known as Syrian National Army (SNA) in early 2020.
Aqqad told North Press that “this establishment has faced vandalism and looting by Turkish-backed opposition factions
“However, I was hardly able to keep its infrastructure through paying big amounts of money. The thing that drove me to start thinking of re-operating it is the fact that I thought things is going to be stable again.” Aqqad added.
Turkish latest threats, however, of launching military operation on north and east Syrian regions raised concerns because Aqqad’s factory is just few kilometers away from the two Shia towns of Nuble and al-Zahraa, and also near the town of Tel Rifaat in northern countryside of Aleppo, where the Turkish forces and their affiliated SNA factions have threatened to invade.
Aqqad brought up the old essay “ the joy is over” because Turkey has mobilized its factions and threatened to invade the region “which means that my factory will get robbed again, and in the best way it will be a target for the shells and bombing if confrontations start.”
“That is why I halted the preparations after having come a long way and paying more than 500 million SYP,” he added.
With a sad tone, the industrialist said that “Turkey is the reason behind our crises and economical loss, as well as, destroying Aleppo’s industry, thus, we do not trust it.”
Turkish statements, last Wednesday, on a military operation on northern Syria have escalated.
Ibrahim Kalin a spokesman for the Turkish presidency said that “they do not request permission from anybody to launch a military operation in northern Syria; this operation can be launched at any time.”
Work Suspension
Hussein Hammoud al-Ali, 50, from the town of Keffin in the northern countryside of Aleppo, dug the foundations and bought building materials to work on a poultry farm project on the outskirts of the town.
He told North Press, “I left Gulf States and decided to come back to my village to start my life project and to spend my days with my family.”
“But I suspended my project, and it seems that I will not have the stability I was dreaming of, because my work has stopped and a large amount of money I saved for this project has gone for buying the land and building materials,” he added.
Al-Ali awaits the situation to be stable so he can continue his project, “any Turkish attack that may target our territory, will lead to displacement and the loss of the money I saved hoping to improve my life conditions.”
Loss in a flash
Hussein Sultan from Kafr Nasih in northern countryside of Aleppo bought a piece of land which was set to be a project for planting potato.
Sultan told North Press, “I dug water well which cost me 10 million SYP, and bought solar panels at 10 million SYP in addition to other costs including the price of water taps and special watering pipes for the plants.”
All of this has stopped, however, because Sultan was afraid to lose what he has paid for “in a flash.”
“Our town is near the contact lines. The lands I intended to start my project on are just 6 km from the front line, so that any clashes or shelling will mean massive loss,” he said.
“I am not the only one who suspended his project, there are lots of agricultural and industrial project owners suspended their jobs awaiting the results of the events.”
“There are people who stepped back on building even a small wall for their houses or preparing simple apartments,” he noted.
All of this is due to people’s fair of the Turkish military operation that Turkey is brandishing with.
Towns and villages of Aleppo’s northern countryside are witnessing sporadic shelling “it may pave the way for a military action that will destroy everything,” according to Sultan.
“The Turkish threats have stopped our projects and affected work movement causing our economical suffering to increase. You have only two choices in our region; either to work, or our children will starve to death.”