KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – Aina gets upset when a son of her goes to the grapevine on the border with Turkey. She keeps an eye on the orchard until he returns as the Turkish shelling has changed the life they used to lead.
Aina Jammo, 65, from the village of Khokhri in west of Kobani city, northern Syria, says her sons cannot freely cater for the trees as they are located within the firing range of the Turkish forces. They are just 3 km distance from the border.
Although there is relative calm in the countryside of Kobani following intense days of violent shelling, the people there are still daunted by fears. Villagers on the border wonder about the feasibility of the joint Russian-Turkish patrols that used to pass through their villages.
Repeated and random shelling has become an everyday concern for locals living in those areas; they dub the recent situation as “terrible”. Fears of a possible ground Turkish operation rub more salt into their wounds.
Jammo well comprehends that her concerns over her sons going to the orchard will not change the reality.
In addition, there is the fear of displacement due to the repeated Turkish attacks and is a perturbing issue for Jammo among others.
Since the Sochi ceasefire agreement was signed between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2019, both countries have conducted 119 joint patrols in the countryside of Kobani.
Aina lashes out at such patrols saying, ”Days ago they [Turkish forces] shelled Zormaghar and Jareqli. After that patrols passed through these villages as if nothing has happened; why such patrols are conducted then?”
Locals in the western countryside of Kobani say the Russian side is an “accomplice” as it preserves silence and Moscow carries out its mission “with no concern for civilian lives.”
On November 20, Turkish forces initiated an unprecedented aerial bombardment and artillery shelling against vital facilities and infrastructure in many areas near the border, extending from the northern countryside of Aleppo in the northwest up to Derik (al-Malikiyah) on the far northeast. Although sporadically, the Turkish shelling continues.
Owing to this current affair of the reality, Qader Baker, 58, voices his concerns over a potential Turkish ground invasion saying Afrin scenario could be repeated again where violations are still common occurrences against its original inhabitants.
The city of Afrin and its countryside has been under the control of Turkey since March 2018 following a military operation dubbed Olive Branch. The operation caused the displacement of more than 300.000 of the original inhabitants of Afrin, who have been taking shelter in 40 villages and five camps in Shahba region in Aleppo northern countryside since then.
Baker calls on Russia to take a more firm stance towards the Turkish shelling as both countries mount joint patrols in the region.
On December 8, Turkish forces shelled two posts held by Syrian government forces in the two villages of Jishan and Kharabisan in east of Kobani.
In the same relation, Fatima Dabo, 57, wonders to where could people of those areas go should Turkey carries out such an alleged operation.
Dabo says their children are undergoing panic and fears under the loud sounds of Turkish shelling.
Dabo is all hope that war be brought to an end which could pave the way for them to return to their previous life style of tending their sheep, cultivating their lands and cater for their properties.
Mustafa Muhammad, 42, says the most prevailing disturbing issue for villagers of these areas is the repeated Turkish shelling that precludes them to go to their fields and orchards.
Muhammad calls upon all active powers in Syria to find a solution to the Turkish encroachments as seemingly joint patrols have made no difference and Syrian government forces could not prevent such attacks.