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INTERVIEWS WITH SYRIAN REFUGEES IN REYHANLI - I ORSAM Owner of a touristic restaurant, Jamal Nasser al Sarhani says that “in such an environment where everybody fights for his/her own life, there was no more helping each other or humanitarian emotions and people started to hide even a piece of dry bread”. ORSAM: Could you tell us about yourself in brief? Jamal Nasser al Sarhani abu Kamil: I lived in Masharka neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria. I am 52 years old. I owned a touristic restaurant. ORSAM: Could you tell us about your life in Syria before the civil war, your experiences during the civil war and what brought you to Turkey? Jamal Nasser al Sarhani abu Kamil: I had a large restaurant in the neighborhood of Citadel of Aleppo, and it was known as the most luxurious restaurant and narghile café of the neighborhood. I served in this sector with my 6 employees for years. Before the outbreak of the civil war, it was a popular place where the jet set of Aleppo came. It was popular with all kinds of Arab and Middle East dishes, kebab and a variety of appetizers. Like other areas in the region, this neighborhood was also bombed following the outbreak of the civil war, highways were blocked, electricity and water was cut, so I had to leave my restaurant. People had no chance to hang out with other people anymore, and besides they did not have time or could not afford to go to a restaurant or narghile café either. Many rich people migrated, and only poor and low income people did not leave the region. The infrastructure of Aleppo was completely destroyed due to bombardments, nobody came from neighboring provinces to Aleppo, there was no such thing as a trade life anymore, no vegetable, fruit, or even dry food could be brought to Aleppo. In such an environment, nobody came to my restaurant and people could not even live in their homes anymore. I witnessed some bombardments, houses were destroyed, stores were damaged and plundered. In such an environment where everybody fights for his/her own life, there was no more helping each other or humanitarian emotions and people started to hide even a piece of dry bread. Those who had flour, rice or any other food product at home did not give them to anyone else. On cold days, hundreds of families lived a prison life in ruins without heater, under blankets. I had to migrate to get rid of such an environment, and I am still in Turkey. I have no job here, but I will work if I can find a job. * This interview was made by Feyyat Özyazar in Reyhanlı district of Hatay on 15 January 2013. An Interview with Vasfi Hussein al Bagari abu Nahsen who came from Syria to Turkey and settled in Reyhanlı district of Hatay Vasfi Hussein al Bagari, who sold spare parts and agricultural irrigation equipments, states that; “Some people in our area do not migrate, put up with pressure, problems, pains; some of them cannot leave their properties; some others cannot risk their salaries and income by leaving to migrate”. ORSAM: Could you tell us about yourself? Vasfi Hussein al Bagari abu Nahsen: I lived in Al Bab district of Aleppo, Syria. I am 47 years old, and a father of 3 children. I sold tyre, spare parts and agricultural irrigation equipments. ORSAM Report No: 157, May 2013 73
ORSAM CENTER FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STRATEGIC STUDIES ORSAM: Could you tell us about your life in Syria before the civil war, your experiences during the civil war and what brought you to Turkey? Vasfi Hussein al Bagari abu Nahsen: I had a very nice house in the district, and I had bought it for 7 million SYP back then (it equals to more than 200 thousand TL). It was a house with a large garden. I also owned my shop with a storage full of equipments. It was a decorated retail sale shop. My son and I had a regular and a peaceful life. I stood on my own feet. I sold spare parts for all kind of vehicles, as well as all kind of pipes, generators etc. to be used in agricultural irrigation, and also I had a good capital. When the civil war broke out, people stopped cultivating, and I could no more sell anything when migration started as well. When farmers who used to pay me each harvesting period lost their sources of income, I could not earn anything either. Money lost its value. Although those who migrated were financially damaged, at least they got rid of pressure and torture. Those who could not migrate continued to live in difficulty. Even though I had not migrated in the first place, my brother and relatives migrated, so I suffered loneliness and unease. After a certain point, we could not hear from each other with my relatives. A bombardment took place, and those invader groups took whatever we had away, water was cut, our wheat stocks declined, we couldn’t find anything to eat with our bread we baked at home. The young people I know were killed in conflicts, and most of the families who have not left Syria are in sorrow and misery. I could not live in such an environment, and thus I also migrated like other people around. Some people in our area do not migrate, put up with pressure, problems, pains; some of them cannot leave their properties; some others cannot risk their salaries and income by leaving to migrate. Children of some people work and study in Aleppo, Damascus and many other districts of Syria. When families of those people migrate, they cannot be heard from and their children suffer. Currently, I live in a rent apartment, and I have no idea what happened to my luxurious house where I used to live back in Syria. Even though I am safe here in Turkey, I have neither peace nor am I happy. * This interview was made by Feyyat Özyazar in Reyhanlı district of Hatay on 15 January 2013. An Interview with Hashim Necmeddin al Salahi abu Zeldan who came from Syria to stay in Reyhanlı district of Hatay Hashim Necmeddin al Salahi, who used to sell wholesale food products, migrated to Turkey along with his children when the trade life was over, he had no more source of income or life safety in Syria. Hashim Necmeddin al Salahi abu Zeldan: I am from Sarakeb town of Idlib province in Syria. I am a 51 year old tradesman, and a father of four children ORSAM: How was your life in Syria? What brought you to Turkey? Hashim Necmeddin al Salahi abu Zeldan: I sell wholesale food products in Syria. In general, in addition to all dry food products, I also buy olives of those having oliveyards in the region. I give the olive oil cans to villagers, and they deliver them back to me with olive oil after harvesting. Then, I used to send them 74 ORSAM Report No: 157, May 2013
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