As Afrin was cleared of the PKK terror group's Syrian affiliate more than a month ago, the people of Afrin, who were subjected to the terror group's oppression, express their gratitude for the improved security and life conditions. Life in Afrin has started to return to normal after the city center was cleared from the People's Protection Units (YPG) terrorists on March 18 with Turkey's Operation Olive Branch and it is expected that returns to the city will increase as well.
"We are here in Afrin, which is liberated by the Turkish military and the Free Syrian Army (FSA). People are now enjoying freedom after a seven-year rule of the terrorists. Life has been revived now," activist Ebu el Ala Kumla told Ihlas News Agency (İHA) and added that he expects the liberalization of other parts of Syria.
Neighboring war-torn Syria, Turkey had to take necessary steps in the face of growing security threats posed against it by the terrorist group, which took advantage of the security vacuum and gained control of vast swathes of territories in Syria. Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 with an aim of eliminating the YPG along its border to pave the way for the return of Syrian refugees.
Commenting on the current situation in Afrin, a shop owner said, "after the PKK [YPG] retreated from Afrin, most of the people have returned to their homes. The food prices were lowered and people are doing more shopping."
A Syrian man who sells cheese in the street said conditions to normalize daily life have improved.
"We can freely do our business. We could not go outside before because of the terrorists. People have returned to their homes and now we can sell our products. We call on all people from Afrin to return to their homes. Security is established and health services are provided. Food, water and electricity are available," the man said.
Afrin had been a major hideout for the YPG since July 2012, when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without a fight. The Turkish authorities underlined that the utmost attention was paid during the operation in order to avoid civilian casualties. It had been previously stressed that the operation's main objective is to establish security and stability along Turkey's borders and protect Syrians from oppression. The Turkish General Staff said the operation was being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, U.N. Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the U.N. charter and respect for Syria's territorial integrity.
As security is now established in Afrin city center, people said they feel secure to go out and do their business. A woman from Afrin said "the streets have become safer and people can freely conduct their business."
Following the operation in Afrin, the number of people who returned to their homes has also increased. In relation to the issue, Atay Uslu, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Antalya deputy and the head of Parliament's committee on migration, previously said they expect the return of approximately 300,000 Syrians to Afrin.
Uslu underlined that Turkey has been successfully managing the migration process for the last seven years and added that they hope Syrians will be able to return to their homes when the country has peace. Referring to Turkey's previous Operation Euphrates Shied in northern Syria against Daesh terrorists, Uslu said nearly 150,000 Syrians returned to the cleared area.
Since the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, Turkey has been following an open-door policy to refugees and lending support to alleviate the suffering of civilians. Playing a pivotal role in the migration crisis, Turkey is hosting over 3.5 million refugees and has so far spent more than $30.2 billion to meet the needs of the people. In the provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Kilis, Mardin, Kahramanmaraş, Osmaniye, Adıyaman, Adana and Malatya, 227,894 Syrians are staying at temporary refugee centers. The other 3,272,150 Syrian refugees are living in various cities in Turkey.
