The military operation which Turkey initiated against northern and eastern Syria has reached its 5th day. With the start of the operation, Şenyurt (Dirbêsiyê) neighbourhood on the borderline which is resided in the Kızıltepe district of Mardin has become one of the centers where clashes took place.

 

The neighbourhood which is located directly in the zero point of the border and was once evacuated and burned down back in the 90s, have been the stage for heavy clashes between QSD (Syrian Democratic Forces) and soldiers (belonging to the Turkish military) for 5 days. Due to these conflict, those living in the neighborhood, where the bombardment and gunfire has never stopped a moment, have moved and settled in the houses of their relatives in the district center.

 

'CANNON SHOOTS HAVE BEEN RESPONDED'

 

Kadriye Ağaoğlu is one of those who has moved to the district center with her family from the neighborhood where 1500 people lived. Agaoglu, staying in a 3-room house with 4 other families, told that the soldiers seized fire on the other side of the border various times during the last 1.5 years.

 

Agaoglu who stated that on October 9, the day the operation has started, as they hear the voices of cannon shoots, they thought that this was similar to those of the previous attacks, said that, "Cannon fires kept going non-stop for an hour. However, this time there was a respond to the cannon shots. When the soldiers in this side were fired back from the other side, panic has started in our village. Since soldiers stayed close to the houses, the bullets started to hit the houses as well."

 

'I HOPE NO OTHER PEOPLE WOULD BE PLACED IN OUR VILLAGES'

 

As Agaoglu talks about how they eventually had to move from their house due to their fear on the security of their lives she also states, " It is quite a short distance from the place where the soldiers stay to where our homes remain. But nobody warned us about the upcoming danger. It is known by everyone that in case of such an attack targeting the other side of the border, there will definitely by an respond to this side back and so the villagers will also be harmed. However, no warning as such wasn't given at all. Now there isn't a single person remained in the village."

 

Agaoglu already being aware of the plans of president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of AKP's, of settling the refugees to the other side of the border, states, “We had to leave our village. All the houses are empty now, but we are meant to return back. I hope no other people would be placed in our homes before we return."

 

'SOLDIERS WANTED TO USE AS SHIELD '

 

Another resident of the neighbourhood who had to leave and move to the districy center and does not want to share their name stated that the soldiers wanted to use them as shields. Resident of the neighbourhood indicating that there have never been a single bullet attack to themselves from the otherside of the border until today regards the government as the responsinle of the danger thay they are now being face to face. Final remark of the resident is that there are not only soldiers, but also militants from Free Syrian Army (ÖSO) located in their village and they do not trust these militants.