Father of three: Civilian dies tragically in Turkish strike in Hasakah

By Samer Yassin/ Eva Amin

HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Even though she witnessed his body with her own eyes, Adnan Abdi’s mother still cannot believe that her son passed away as a result of a Turkish drone strike.

In a state of confusion and disbelief, the bereaved mother, Sheikha Hussein, still awaits her son to enter the house as he used to before his death.

However, she quickly returns to her cruel reality and wonders about the reason for the Turkish forces targeting her son, as he was only a security guard at a factory in Hasakah, unarmed, and presented no threat to Turkey.

Adnan Abdi, 55, a father of three, lost his life in a Turkish drone strike that targeted a factory in the city of Hasakah on Oct. 5. This attack was part of a series of artillery and air strikes carried out by Turkish forces on vital infrastructure facilities, residential areas, and military posts in northern and northeastern Syria between Oct. 5-9.

The number of civilian casualties reached 24 people, including nine deaths, two of whom were women, and 15 wounded, including four children and three women. As for the military personnel, the number exceeded 70, with 39 killed and 31 others wounded, including soldiers of the Syrian government forces.

“My son was a teacher before he started working as a guard at that factory. When the Turkish attacks on the city of Hasakah began, we heard that a strike targeted his workplace, so we immediately inquired about him. At first, we heard from his friends and colleagues that the strike was far from him and that he is safe,” Hussein said.

His brothers started searching for him in the city’s hospitals, and the next day, “we heard that he was in a hospital in the city. His brothers hurried to the hospital and found him already lifeless.”

The mother deeply misses her son, as she was accustomed to his daily visits to her house after work and before going to see his own children. “He would come to me and stay with me during his break time. He fulfilled all my requests and would not do anything without consulting me. I gave birth to nine children, but Adnan held a special place in my heart, and not only for me but also for the entire family.”

“Until this moment, I still can’t fathom that he has passed away. Even though I saw him lifeless and buried him, I still wait for him to return through our home’s door, hoping for news that the incident was not true,” she added with a sorrowful tone.

The tragedy of Adnan had a significant impact on Hajj Youssef, his uncle. His nephew’s death left a deep imprint on him, as they were accustomed to sitting together, sharing jokes, and laughter.

Youssef told North Press, “My nephew Adnan was an educated person, and he loved joking a lot. I have never heard that he bothered someone; I still cannot come to terms with the fact that he passed away.”

With a tone full of sadness, Youssef told North Press, “The Turkish enemy does not discriminate between a civilian or military guard; they just target anyone because the Turkish hostility against Kurds is deeply rooted, tracing back the Ottoman era, and continuing to Ataturk and Erdogan.”

“Turkey does not discriminate between military and civilian areas. It is not unlikely that they would target my house now under the pretext of fighting terrorism, even though the real terrorist is Erdogan,” he added.

Youssef said the grudge he holds towards Turkey increases day by day, and he wonders, “How can they kill a civilian guard who had never carried a weapon against the Turkish state? How can my hatred not grow more and more?”