Turkey intensifies efforts for better conditions on Azaz-Jarablus line


Turkey has accelerated efforts to improve the quality of life in areas of northern Syria that were previously held by Daesh and liberated as part of Operation Euphrates Shield.

The operation, launched on Aug. 24 by the Turkish military and the Free Syrian Army (FSA), helped clear a 250-square-kilometer area along the Azaz-Jarablus line. Following the liberation of Daesh-held towns, efforts to better living conditions and a redevelopment process have ramped up.

Local assemblies consisting only of Syrians have been established. The first steps towards normalization in the towns were taken by forming proper security units. The Turkish Police Department has trained 2,500 Syrians and distributed armored police vehicles. The number of trained Syrians to join the security force is expected to be as high as 5,000. Once order is established by Syrian police forces in previously Daesh-held towns, armed FSA fighters will leave the town centers.

A team of lawyers has also been carrying out a mission in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice. In the first phase, around 40 Syrian legal experts will be assigned to courts in liberated towns and villages.

In addition, the Turkish government is making an effort to enhance education levels. Daesh had turned schools into prisons and torture centers. But schools have re-opened and education recommenced after the liberation of towns. The Ministry of Education is working to hire teachers and sending them to these towns. The Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ) is also working around the clock to help meet the need for housing, building housing sites as well as new schools and mosques.

Turkey's bid to liberate Daesh-held Syrian towns and bring peace to the region seems to have paid off. The population of the town of Jarablus in northern Syria increased from 3,500 to approximately 35,000 people after Turkey-backed forces liberated the city from Daesh. Drinking water and electricity in the province were provided by southeastern Turkey's Gaziantep governorate and mayoral offices soon after the liberation.

Schools in Jarablus, rebuilt by the Turkish government, have also started to operate after a three-year break due to the war. Hospitals and health and emergency centers in the province have also been opened with the help of the Turkish government. Shopping centers, restaurants, bakeries and even jewelry shops are also now catering to residents in Jarablus.