Civilians, who were displaced by the PKK terrorist group's Syrian branch YPG, build new lives in northern Syria's Operation Peace Spring zone which was cleared of terrorists with Türkiye-led efforts.
Rami Dahis is one of those who migrated to Türkiye after the YPG oppression and now lives a new life in northern Syria's terror-free district of Tal Abyad.
He had to take shelter in Türkiye with his family after YPG terrorists seized Tal Abyad in Syria, across from the southeastern Turkish province of Şanlıurfa's Akçakale district, in 2015.
After Türkiye's Operation Peace Spring against the YPG terrorist organization, the Tal Abyad district was liberated from terrorism in October 2019, Dahis and his family decided to return to their hometown.
The 35-year-old from Tal Abyad, who was forcibly displaced by the terrorist group, told Anadolu Agency (AA) about his experiences.
"We were displaced when the terrorist organization PKK took over the Tal Abyad district. We had to migrate to Türkiye because of the issue of 'forcible recruitment into the terrorist group.' We stayed at the border line in Türkiye. There were only 200 meters (656.17 feet) between us and Tal Abyad."
Stating that they returned to their homes thanks to Operation Peace Spring, Dahis said: "Our lands were under YPG occupation. Thank God, we returned immediately after our town was liberated."
Noting that before the Peace Spring Operation, young people from Tal Abyad fled the city to avoid forcibly being recruited into the YPG/PKK, Dahis said that after the operation, most of the youth who had to leave their families because of the YPG/PKK have returned.
He noted that he was a farmer when he first returned to the city. "After a while, I got a job at the local council as a fuel station supervisor. After returning here, I got married. I had two children."
Dahis stated that life in the district returned to normal and the needs of the people were met and added: "The most difficult day of my life was the day we left the district. The moment we returned to the district with the Peace Spring Operation was my happiest day."
Underlining that the district has undergone a dramatic development, he said: "When we first entered Tal Abyad, there was no water or electricity. Many thanks to the local council over the past three years. Electricity, water and job opportunities are now available. Farmers now use solar energy to irrigate their fields."
Wishing all Syrian lands to be liberated and Syrians to return to their homes, Dahis said: "The values of kinship, love, brotherhood and neighborliness bind us together in the city. The PKK and Daesh tried to set us against each other by creating strife."
Türkiye's efforts to establish stability in northern Syria's Tal Abyad by supporting education, security, health and social infrastructure have led to the town becoming a safe haven for Syrians returning to the country. After Tal Abyad was cleared of terrorism in 2019 through Operation Peace Spring, security and public order were established.
Founded with Türkiye's support, the Tal Abyad local council helped life return to normal by carrying out improvements in the education, health, transportation, economy, agriculture and livestock sectors.
Türkiye carried out Operation Peace Spring against the PKK terrorist group's Syrian branch, the YPG, which is mainly backed by the United States, in northern Syria to prevent a terrorism corridor from being created along its southern border, as well as to bring peace and tranquility to the region.
Since the launch of the operation, Türkiye has been supporting every aspect of life in the region, from health to education, security and agriculture. In this respect, efforts to clear bombs and improvised explosive devices were launched and administration duties were given to local councils.
The country also rolled up its sleeves to reconstruct hospitals, schools, mosques and roads destroyed by the YPG/PKK. Within the scope of improving the region's social infrastructure, people were given food and clothing by several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) while roads and buildings were rebuilt. These efforts paid off as hundreds of displaced Syrians started to return to the liberated areas. The commercial activity at the open customs gates with Türkiye also plays an important role in the development of the region.
