Residents of Syria’s northwest protest without raising Turkish flags
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Many cities and towns under control of Turkey and its affiliated Syrian opposition factions in northern Syria witnessed on Friday mass protests that activists called for to express their rejection against Turkish remarks for reconciliation between the government and the opposition.
On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu revealed on sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement meeting in Belgrade that he had held a short meeting with his Syrian counterpart Faisal al-Mekdad in Belgrade in October.
Cavusoglu called for reconciling between the Syrian government and the opposition to fulfill “permanent peace” as he claimed.
Following the Turkish calls for reconciliation, Syrian activists called for staging demonstrations against these statements.
On Friday, many demonstrations were staged in the areas occupied by Turkey and its affiliated factions, following Friday prayer, according to North Press correspondents.
Additionally, several areas in Idlib governorate witnessed demonstrations, and hundreds of residents gathered in the squares of al-Sa’a and al-Sabe’ Bahrat and the outskirts of Turkish military base in the village of al-mastumah south of Idlib.
It worth mentioning that in the demonstrations residents did not raise the Turkish flag as they used to do, and they only raised the revolution flag and signs with phrases rejecting the reconciliations with the government.
Earlier on Friday, Department of Moral Guidance of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army issued a notice warning against insulting the Turkish flag.
Activists told North Press that scores of protesters gathered in the vicinity of the Turkish base in al-mastumah, chanting against Turkey.
They added that Turkish forces fired tear-gas bombs to disperse the protesters, who responded by throwing stones at the base.
Other demonstrations were staged against the Turkish remarks in the towns of Kafr Takharim and Salqin west of Idlib, the villages and towns of Hazano, Kafarya and Atarib east of Idlib, and in the towns and villages of Atme, Sarmada and Ataa camps north of Idlib.
Since Thursday, the city of Azaz in the countryside of Aleppo governorate witnessed a mass demonstration where protesters burnt the Turkish flag.
Hundreds of residents of the city gathered in Future Square in the city center, and they chanted slogans against Turkey.