IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Mustafa sits across a mass grave weeping and grieving the loss of his mother and two younger siblings who died in the deadly earthquake that hit Syria in early February.
At dawn on Feb. 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and Syria, killing 44.000 individuals. It also caused the destruction of hundreds of buildings, leaving many people homeless.
Mustafa al-Basha, 31, from Homs, said that he lives with his wife and children in the Turkish city of Mersin and has worked there for seven years.
He lost his mother and two young siblings after their house collapsed in on them in Harem, in northern Idlib.
“After I heard the news, I was restless. I tried to find a way to return to Syria, to bid farewell to my mother and siblings before burying them,” he added.
The next day, “fortunately for me,” he says, the Turkish authorities allowed Syrians holding Turkish Temporary Protection Cards (Kimlik) to enter Syria for up to six months to visit relatives in devastated areas of the country. “I rushed to the Bab al-Hawa border crossing and arrived in Idlib, leaving my wife and children in Turkey with my brother-in-law,” he said.
“I was unable to say goodbye to my mother and siblings but at least managed to arrive at the site of the mass grave, which they were buried in, together with others,” he said with great sorrow.
Al-Basha currently stays with relatives in Binnish city, in the east of Idlib.
He expressed his concerns as he was surprised to discover he had signed a three-month permit at Bab al-Hawa. “I was unaware of it at the time,” he said.
Then, he realized he left his wife and children back in Turkey. “I thought I was going to be in Syria for a few days. Now that I realize the permit I signed and the latest Turkish statements, I believe returning to my family might be almost impossible,” he said.
Fears Haunt Syrians
The latest Turkish statements about the voluntary return of thousands of Syrians back to Syrian territories following the earthquake sparked concerns, as they had returned based on the permits granted by Turkish authorities.
On Feb. 19, the Turkish Minister of Defense, Hulusi Akar, announced that “10.633 Syrians have voluntarily returned to their country following the earthquake.”
Ziyad al-Safi, 38, an IDP in the Hama countryside, said he has lived in Turkey since 2013, working in a dessert business ever since, and lives near his workplace.
After years, he built strong relations in the region and settled there. “Antakya became my new city. I used to visit relatives in Syria on holidays but not in recent years. Now we only see each other online,” he said.
“Following the earthquake, my house was partially damaged, and life stopped completely in Antakya,” al-Safi added.
He did not hesitate to visit his relatives in Idlib, when Turkish authorities allowed Syrians to visit to check on them.
“Today, however, I was quite surprised with the statement of the Turkish Minister of Defense about the voluntary return of Syrians in the last few days, which had me worried,” he said.
He left his job and money with the owner of the facility he works in, as well as his household items. Everything he built in the last ten years will go to waste if he is not able to return to Turkey in the coming days.
Were Syrians Tricked?
Controversy surrounded the three-month permit allowing Syrians in devastated Turkish areas to return to Syria on social media.
Some speculated that “Turkey issued this permit to ease the pressure on its soil, at least during this period, especially since the permit lasts at least three months.”
Meanwhile, others stressed that “all who entered Syria will not be able to return to Turkey since Turkey issued this permit of a voluntary return to get rid of as many Syrian refugees as possible without the need to arrest them individually and deport them back to Syria.”
Since day one, several Syrian activists, including Fathi al-Shami who lives in Turkey, warned Syrian refugees in Turkey not to be fooled by the “ambush” (permits) of Turkish authorities.
He said to North Press, “It is dangerous in many respects. The most important is the timeline, as they are only allowed to return after the presidential elections in Turkey while everyone knows that Erdogan’s AKP party is at risk of losing now more than ever to the opposition party.”
“If the opposition party, which has publicly shown resentment towards Syrian refugees for many years, wins the elections, those who have returned to visit relatives would be considered voluntary returned and will not be able to enter Turkey again,” he added.
According to al-Shami, It is also possible that “the winning party would expel Syrian refugees or crack down on them, which is what we fear.”