Thousands of desperate Syrian refugees have returned to the war zone in order to join the Turkey-backed push against Daesh and the Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) offshoot, PYD, in northern Syria.
Hundreds of Syrians, who sought a new life in other countries in the Middle East or Europe because of the prolonged conflict, have returned over the past 31 days after the Turkish military and Free Syrian Army began operation, Euphrates Shield, to end Daesh rule in Jarabulus.
The Euphrates Shield operation is considered to be the first Turkish incursion in Syria since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011.
The moderate groups have repelled Daesh terrorists Syria's Jarablus and villages in al-Rai town during the operation.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has recently said the next target in the operation will be al-Bab town, lies around 30 kilometers from the Elbeyli town of Turkey's Kilis province.
Speaking to Yeni Şafak, Samir Alo, the head of Al-Rai town's council, said that 4,000 young Syrians, who migrated to Austria, Germany, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, are now already ready to defend their land. “600 young fighters have already been sent to conflict zones in different opposition groups while 3,500 more are on their way back home."
Alo, who is also the Chair of Syrian Turkmen Supreme Council, said that most of the returnees are those born in al-Rai, Tel Abyad, Idlib and Aleppo. “They have been motivated by their trust in Turkey and arrivals will continue in the coming days. They will fight not only Daesh and PYD, but also the regime troops," he explains.
The Yeni Şafak reporter also spoke to refugees, who were waiting to cross into Syria. One of them is disabled Mustafa Saleh, who lived in a make-shift camp in Austria for eight months. Saleh said he didn't hesitate when he decided to return on the day when the Turkish military crossed the border in Syria for the operation.
Muhammed Nihat agreed with Saleh's views and said his hope has flourished for his village to be retaken in the Turkey-backed incursion. “Now, I have much more hope that my village will be clean of all terrorists," Sales said, on his arrival a year after trying to survive in Germany.
Mustafa Saleh, born in al-Rai town, said he was forced out of his hometown after Daesh took control of it. “I had fought against Assad's forces in the ranks of FSA for two years. After Daesh's siege, we had to leave our town and travelled to Turkey," Saleh said, adding that the PYD is the next real threat they will have to encounter in the ongoing battle.
