When you enter Serêkaniyê, it seems as if you enter a Turkish state

"When you enter Serêkaniyê, it is as if you are entering one of the Turkish states," with this phrase, the mercenary Saad Khalif described the state of occupied city by Turkey. He revealed some of what is happening in the occupied city of Serêkaniyê; demographic change, ongoing clashes among mercenary groups, how to manage the city, and the bad situation of people.

17 August, 2021 02:33

'NEWS DESK -AKRAM BARAKAT

After the Turkish army occupied the cities of Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî following the aggression launched on October 9, 2019, security, safety and stability were lost in those cities, and they turned into an incubator and safe haven for the remnants of ISIS and Jabhet Al-Nusra mercenaries, and centers were opened to recruit children and young men to send them to Libya, Azerbaijan and even Afghanistan.

On the first of August, the Tel Tamr Military Council arrested two mercenaries belonging to Al-Sultan Morad Division, and they are the minors Samir Nabil Basileh, born in 2005, from the Ghuwairan neighborhood in the city of Hasakah, and Saad Khalif Al-Muttaleb, born in 2002 from the village of Mahkan in Deir ez-Zor.

Saad Khalif Al-Muttaleb explained that the situation of the people in the occupied city of Serêkaniyê is very dire, and said, "The military component within the city controls everything."

Mercenary Saad Khalif noted that the mercenary factions are authorized to do everything within the city of Serêkaniyê / Ras al-Ain which is divided between those groups.

Among the most important mercenary gangs in the city of Serêkaniyê / Ras al-Ain are Ahrar al-Sharqiyya, Al-Sultan Morad Division, al-Jazira Shield, the Badr Martyrs Brigade, Al-Hamzat, Al-Qaqaa, Al-Hasakah Shield, Euphrates Shield, and Al-Mu'tasem Brigade. All these factions, headed by Al-Sultan Morad Division are recruiting children to fight.

Schools are headquarters for Al-Sultan Morad mercenaries

Mercenary Saad explained that the main center of Al-Sultan Morad mercenaries in Serêkaniyê is located in one of the schools in the city, and is headed by a person named Hamza Al-Shaker who is constantly in Turkey, and said, "He owns a private plane that transports the recruits from Turkey to Libya and Azerbaijan."

The mercenary Saad confirmed the presence of ISIS mercenaries and Jabhet Al-Nusra within the ranks of all mercenary groups in Serêkaniyê city, and stressed that the clashes that erupt among the mercenary groups are caused by the dispute over thefts and smuggling lines (smuggling of people and families, foodstuffs, drugs and hashish). He said, "Recently, clashes took place between Al-Mu'tasem faction and Ahrar Al-Sharqiyya against the background of the smuggling line, and a number of elements were killed as a result."

Saad noted that the Turkish occupation army does not interfere in the clashes that occur between the elements of the mercenary groups.

Leaders of mercenary groups sell drugs to elements

Saad explained that drug use and trade is openly permitted within the occupied city of Serêkaniyê, and said, "All group members use drugs. The faction leader is the one who sells drugs to the elements."

The mercenary Saad indicated that there are special recruitment camps within the city of Serêkaniyê, affiliated with the mercenaries of Al-Sultan Morad Division and Ahrar Al-Sharqiyya, and said, "People are being recruited to fight in Libya, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan. The names of the elements that are killed in Libya and Azerbaijan are not revealed, only they say that they are missing."

The mercenaries Saad noted that the number of the original residents of Serêkaniyê within the city does not exceed 10%, while the rest of the population is the families of mercenaries, and confirmed that he saw some people of Iraqi origin, and said, "There is a perfume shop in the center of the city and it is owned by an Iraqi person whose form is like ISIS. He was a former member of ISIS, and joined Ahrar al-Sharqiyya that adopts ISIS ideology.

When you enter Serêkaniyê, it is as if you are entering a Turkish state

Saad stressed that all the schools in Serêkaniyê city, except for those turned by the mercenaries of Al-Sultan Morad Division into military headquarters, are managed by the Turkish authorities, the Turkish flag is raised above all those schools, and the Turkish language is taught mainly within them, and he said, "When you enter Serêkaniyê, it seems as if you are entering one of the Turkish states, the number of Turks in it is more than the number of Syrians."

Saad explained that all the departments in Serêkaniyê, such as hospitals, schools, municipalities and public facilities are run by Turks, and the so-called local council is only a formality that issues identities for the residents there. It is written in Turkish and Arabic, because most of the checkpoints in the city belong to Turks."

In addition, mercenary Saad confirms that the currency in circulation is the Turkish currency and the US dollar.

The mercenary Saad explained that the Serêkaniyê / Ras al-Ain area is unsafe and unfit for living, and the living situation is very bad. He described the city as a forest, and said, "The residents are persecuted and remain silent in order to preserve their lives."

ANHA