TEL TAMR, Syria (North Press) – In the town of Tel Tamr, north of Hasakah Governorate, northeast Syria, Chinar Saleh, 48, expresses her fears of recent Turkish escalation that has become a threat of their areas, and fears that things may get worse.
In light of the consistent Turkish attacks and threats against the region, residents, who live in villages on contact lines north of Hasakah, live in a state of concern.
Two months ago, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced plans to carry out another major military cross-border incursion into northern Syria. Erdogan specified his targets in the two northern Syrian cities of Manbij and Tel Rifaat.
“The time has come to clear these lands from the terrorist organizations,” Erdogan threatened during Tehran Summit.
Since Tehran summit that took place on July 19 and brought together presidents of each of Iran, Russia and Turkey, Turkey has been escalating shelling of northeastern Syria, ignoring ceasefire agreements.
Following the Turkish incursion in October 2019, Turkey signed two ceasefire agreements, one with Russia and the other with the US stipulating ceasing all hostilities and the withdrawal of the SDF 32 km away from the Turkish border.
The SDF did withdrew from the border areas according to the agreement, but Turkey continues targeting the area.
Saleh, as she hears the sound of shelling from time to time, said, “Due to constant Turkish attacks and threats, the area will not get stable.”
As Saleh stands in the hall of an institute that takes care of families of the victims who lost their lives at the hands of Turkish forces and the militants of the Islamic State Organization (ISIS), she added, “People here are uncomfortable in their life and work, [as a result], markets cannot be compared to a year ago.”
Regarding the absence of international stance towards the repeated Turkish attacks, she said that the world does nothing although these attacks take place in plain sight. Turkey claims to target terrorists, but everyone sees that it targets women and children.
On August 16, Turkish forces hit five villages, west of the town of Tel Tamr, displacing residents.
“Where will we go?”
Tel Tamr markets witness a stalemate due to recent Turkish shelling that displaced residents who headed to camps and eastern villages of the town that are far from the contact lines.
The shelling of the countryside of Tel Tamr during the last three weeks, resulted in the killing of two civilians and the injury of about 20 others, including children and the elderly, in addition to significant material damage of residents’ houses and vital facilities.
According to Tel Tamr Military Council, affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the area shelters about 30.000 IDPs from the city of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and residents of the town’s countryside, after they were occupied by Turkish forces three years ago, in addition to those who left their areas due to consistent Turkish shelling of the contact lines in the northern and western countryside of Tel Tamr.
Sana’ Hamoud, 30, an IDP from Sere Kaniye who lives with her two children in a school that is turned into an sheltering center in Tel Tamr, fears unknown fate if Turkey implemented its threats.
Hamoud, who lost her husband in the war against ISIS in 2019, as he used to fight within the ranks of the SDF, said, “The situation in Tel Tamr has become hopeless due to indiscriminate Turkish shelling.”
“If Tel Tamr was shelled, where will we go?” she wondered.
“A few days ago, the village of Gheibesh was shelled at 1:00 am and children were frightened.”
Unknown fate
The 33-year-old Ali Muhammad was waiting for a car on M4 Highway to carry him to his house in the village of al- Farahiyah, west of the town. It was clear that it has become difficult to find means of transportation, unless a resident of a neighboring village passed, but this needs waiting for more hours.
Muhammad, who hails from the village of al-Khamsa, in the southern countryside of Sere Kaniye, was displaced during the Turkish shelling of the area about three years ago, but the Turkish shelling still affects him in his current residence which is near contact lines.
Muhammad, bearing bags contain vegetables and household essentials, expressed his concern of the continuous shelling, saying, “Whenever the shelling starts, we go out, and when it ends, we come back.”
The frequent shelling affected the living situation and services in the villages on contact lines, he added.
In addition, Muhammad is afraid of a new Turkish attack against the area, saying that they do not have another place to go and they do not know their fate.
“The only victim are residents,” saying in his local accent.