MANBIJ, Syria (North Press) – For over a month, Ali al-Ahmad, owner of a real estate office in Manbij, a city in the eastern countryside of Aleppo Governorate, northern Syria, has not sold or bought any house or land due to the stagnation of the real estate market following Turkish threats to invade northern Syria.
Al-Ahmad told North Press that since the beginning of the threats, the number of houses that were registered for sale has increased without any purchase request from the residents, in addition to a significant drop in prices due to the residents’ desire to leave the city for fear of a Turkish possible military operation.
Fears among residents of Manbij are increasing as Turkey continues threatening the area.
In June 27, in a speech after charring a government meeting, at the Presidential Complex in Ankara; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that Turkey will launch a new military operation in northern Syria.
“We will start a new operation in Syria as soon as the armed forces complete their readiness and preparations,” Erdogan added.
On June 1, Erdogan renewed his threats of launching a military operation on northern Syria, and specified his targets in the two Syrian cities of Manbij and Tel Rifaat, which include many IDPs.
The Turkish threats affect the owners of professions, shops and workers in Manbij, as some have lost their source of livelihood, while others suffer from a decline in the movement of work in light of fears of displacement and the loss of their goods and capital.
According to the owners of real estate offices, price of a house, which was $30,000, now is sold at $20,000, and the owner lowers the price in case he finds a buyer.
Al-Ahmad indicates that selling and buying of real estates have almost stopped, and most of the contractors have abstained from working, affecting the work of daily workers, as securing the livelihood of their families has become almost impossible in light of the economic recession in the city.
A state of anxiety and tension prevails among the population and the displaced people in northern Syria, especially in Tel Rifaat and Manbij; for fear of a new Turkish military operation, especially after Turkey has dropped objections to Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
On June 29, Turkey lifted its veto over Finland and Sweden’s applications to join NATO, paving the way for the Nordic countries to join the alliance, after the three nations agreed to protect each other’s security.
Suleiman Muhammad, a resident of Manbij, is concerned about his daily livelihood, due to the poor trading in the market.
Muhammad, who works in transporting goods via a small car from warehouses to shops in the markets as his source of livelihood to support his family of five, has been unemployed for over a month.
Traders and industrialists in Manbij refrain from buying and storing new goods for fear of losing them if Turkey starts its offensive.
Muhammad said that the main streets in the city used to be crowded in the morning, but for several weeks the traffic has almost stopped.
“The streets are almost empty, you barely see people do shopping,” he told North Press.
As Turkey escalates bombardment on areas in northeastern Syria, the residents are calling on the active states involved in Syria and the human rights organizations to curb the Turkish threats, and to make an actual position towards these threats.
In his dairy shop in Manbij, Ibrahim Sawada said that as a result of the Turkish threats, the trading in the markets has declined by about 80%.
He noted that he used to sell120 kilograms of milk on a daily basis, while now he sells 10 kg only.
As Eid al-Adha is approaching, trading in the market seems weak compared to previous holidays, as residents used to go to shops to buy Eid needs of clothes and sweets.
“There is no one in the markets because of the high prices and fear of Turkish threats,” Sawada concluded.