Farmers fear that the Turkish occupation will target their crops

Farmers in North and East Syria are optimistic about a bumper agricultural season this year, after the rainfalls witnessed in the fall and winter seasons.

The agricultural reality remains threatened, due to the Turkish occupation army’s repeated attacks against the region and the targeting of infrastructure, especially agricultural lands located on the lines of contact with the occupation and the border separating Northern Kurdistan from Rojava.

Optimism about the agricultural season and fears

Farmers in rural Derik in Jazira canton, whose lands are located near the border with Turkey, have been worried about their crops every year as they prepare for harvest for years.

Farmer Ramadan Haj Ali from the town of Ain Diwar indicated that they are optimistic about the agricultural season after the rainfalls, but he stressed that they fear that the Turkish occupation soldiers will target their lands or those working on them during the harvest.

Ramadan Haj Ali said: “We do not know what will be the fate of our crops. Will they be ours or will they be burned by the occupation?”

Shaheen Muhammad, a farmer from the village of Baneh Qasri, confirmed that they work with caution on their agricultural lands, especially after a relative of his, from the village of Hobb al-Hawa, was exposed to threats from the occupation soldiers if he did not leave his land. He said about this: “My relative was present on his land, and he asked "The occupation soldiers must leave from there immediately."

They killed a farmer in our village while plowing his land

Previous cases were recorded of farmers being directly targeted by the Turkish occupation. In the village of Derna Aghi in the countryside of the city of Jal Agha, farmer Muhyiddin Abdel Razzaq was killed while working in plowing his land by bullets from the Turkish occupation army.

Kadar Bashir, a farmer from the village of Derna Aghi, said: “During 2020, soldiers targeted Muhyiddin from our village while he was working on the land, and from that time until now, we have been worried when we go to our lands, because we fear that they will target us.”

Kadar Bashir confirmed that the Turkish occupation soldiers throw bullets between the lands to burn them, so that many harvester owners do not work if the land is close to the dividing border, for fear of being targeted.

T/ Satt.

ANHA