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ORSAM
CENTER FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STRATEGIC STUDIES
a proper means to measure the distance. We
shot jets by random cross fires, we did not
have much chance to hit the target. There are
some 400 thousand Mujahids in our region.
But most of them are not trained, just volunteers.
There are also Iraqi, Yemeni, Libyan
and Palestinian people among us. In order to
prevent all clothing, food aid and shelter to be
provided for us by the villagers, these areas
are bombarded due to our presence. As we do
not have any place to take a rest or anything
to eat while fighting, we get exhausted and
have to split into groups and had some rest in
far places.
Most of migrations are caused by the presence
of Jaish al Hur in this area and the bombardments
to prevent aid to be delivered to
us. Roads were blocked to suppress us, to
suppress people, certain points were bombed
and our agricultural fields and crops were all
set on fire. Trees were uprooted to prevent us
from taking advantage of them.
I was wounded, but it is not serious. We have a
medical team, as well as medical equipments.
But we do not have a hospital with beds in the
area. We turned either a large house, a warehouse,
or a tent into a hospital. Through the
support of Turkey, a hospital was opened in
Syria Babel Hava, which is located near Cilvegözü
border gate. Turkish authorities came
to attend the opening, and it turned out to be
a nice hospital; but I do not think there is not
enough medical device and equipments to
operate seriously wounded with the capacity
to provide service for those who live in tent
cities and the neighboring villages.
As Mujahids, we are provided with financial
aid, and our families in Turkey are provided
with food aid, as well as clothes. They are also
provided with financial aid at certain point. I
came to Turkey to have some rest for a while.
* This interview was made by Feyyat Özyazar
in Reyhanlı district of Hatay on 15 January
2013.
An Interview with Mahmoud al Ibrahim
Nasiri who came from Syria to Turkey and
settled in Reyhanlı district of Hatay
Aleppo origin carpenter Mahmoud al Ibrahim
Nasiri says, “There are people who stay
near Turkish border; but they were in need of
electricity, water, food. If it goes on like this,
they will have to migrate due to insufficiency
of food and misery”.
ORSAM: Could you tell us about yourself?
Mahmoud al Ibrahim Nasiri: I lived in
Aziziye neighborhood in Aleppo, Syria. I am
25 years old, and I am a carpenter. I lived with
my old parents and four sisters.
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?
Mahmoud al Ibrahim Nasiri: I could not live
in Aleppo anymore, my mother is a housewife,
and my father is retired. My father’s
retirement pension is 20 thousand SYP (it
equals to some 400 TL). My father opened a
shop for me, and I had just finished my military
service. I made armchair, couch, office
equipments in the carpenter shop. I had a
good job and income, my sisters did not work.
Like other people in Aleppo, my shop and the
neighborhood were also attacked during the
bombardment, and our home was also partially
destroyed. In addition to hunger and
misery, diseases also broke out.
As a 7 membered family, we rented a house in
Reyhanlı district of Hatay. I found a job relat-
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ORSAM
Report No: 157, May 2013