Hope grows for Tel Abyad returnees after agreement

The displaced residents currently residing in the Girê Spî camp have welcomed the recent agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Damascus government, expressing hope that it will enable their return to homes, from which they were forcibly displaced due to the Turkish occupation.

13 March, 2025 07:30

NEWS DESK - AIN ISSA

The agreement, signed two days ago between the Damascus government and the SDF, includes several provisions, one of which guarantees the return of all individuals displaced as a result of the Turkish occupation to their cities and villages. This development has been met with approval by those forcibly removed from their homes.

Jihan Mustafa, a displaced woman residing in the Girê Spî displacement camp, stated:

"We hope this agreement brings us good fortune and facilitates our return to our city, Girê Spî/Tel Abyad, from which we were displaced following its occupation by Turkish forces."

She further added: "We have grown weary of life in the camps and of displacement. We have been living in this camp for nearly five years, enduring the cold of winter, the heat of summer, and economic hardship after losing our sources of income in the areas from which we were forcibly removed. We hope this agreement will be the key to ending our suffering."

Similarly, another displaced woman, Berivan Hussein, expressed her hope that "this agreement will be implemented on the ground and not remain mere ink on paper, so that we can return to our land from which we were expelled. We also hope it will serve as a means of ending the presence of the Turkish occupiers, who have been the primary cause of our suffering."

She concluded by stating: "We hope this agreement will bring us peace, halt Turkish occupation attacks, end the wars and tragedies that have plagued our regions, and ensure a safe return to our homes."

The Turkish occupation of Girê Spî/Tel Abyad and its surrounding areas, following an offensive launched on NE Syria on October 9, 2019, led to the displacement of over 100,000 residents. Of these, approximately 7,000 currently reside in the Girê Spî camp, located near the town of Tell al-Samen in northern Raqqa, while the rest are scattered across Raqqa, Tabqa, and their rural areas. The displaced continue to face dire living conditions, having been forced to abandon their homes and livelihoods.

a.k

ANHA