Clashes between Damascus government forces and Turkish-backed mercenaries in İdlib over the past year have led to mass migration to Reqa and Tebqa in North and East Syria.
An İdlib Peoples’ Council has been established to voice the concerns of refugees in the area, according to a report by Hawar News. İdlib Council co-chair El Xedraa Heysem Hac Abdullah said migrants live a more secure and honourable life in the Autonomous Administration (AANES).
Turkey’s crimes
Drawing attention to Turkey’s crimes in İdlib, Abdullah said, “They commit every kind of crime including kidnapping and blackmail. The perpetrators are mostly groups of Turkish-backed mercenaries. These crimes are being committed so that those who rule the area cannot secure the region”.
Abdullah said many citizens were in touch with their relatives and called for them to come to North and East Syria, but “Our relatives cannot come due to the Syrian National Army’s blackmail and threats”.
‘Syrian opposition seizes aid’
Claiming that the Syrian opposition and the Turkish state stole the international aid meant for Syrian civilians, Abdullah noted, “According to some reports by media outlets, there is a serious amount of money in secret bank accounts belonging to Syrian opposition members. The camps in İdlib and in North and East Syria are significantly different from each other, especially in terms of security. The situation in İdlib is more difficult due to blackmail and theft”.
Refugees in İdlib’s camps live under hard conditions due to a lack of aid, limited means, recurring natural disasters, blockades, and brutal treatment by Turkey and its affiliated mercenaries.
