Syria’s displaced Turkmen long to return home to Homs

By Mohamad Misto and Adham Kako

HOMS/ANKARA

Thousands of Turkmen forced to flee the Syrian city Homs to neighboring villages due to fierce attacks by the Assad regime are now desperate to return to their homes.

Numerous residents of Kisin village, located to the north of the city, fled their homes in 2014 due to a crippling siege and frequent regime attacks.

According to Anadolu Agency correspondents based in the area, the entire village -- including schools, homes and mosques -- has been largely reduced to rubble, while most of its roughly 3,000 Turkmen residents have fled to neighboring villages.

“We have taken in at least 200 families who were forced to flee due to regime attacks in Kisin,” Ahmed Mirza, local assembly chief in the nearby village of Tillif, told Anadolu Agency.

“But our resources are limited,” he lamented. “We can't help any more newcomers.”

Aisha Sultan, an 83-year-old Turkmen resident of Kisin, says she and her family had sought refuge in Tillif because -- given the dangers posed by frequent attacks and the difficulties imposed by the siege -- they “had no other choice”.

Another displaced Kisin resident, who identified himself only as “Karaot”, complained that Tillif lacked any wood to use as fuel while heating oil was extremely costly.

“We don't have money to buy gasoline,” he told Anadolu Agency.

Kisin resident Ahmet Ali Elkani, for his part, said: “Our village has been completely destroyed. Even the birds were killed in the attacks. We’re desperate for help.”

“No humanitarian agencies are visiting the area,” he added forlornly. “We can only seek help from Allah.”

For the last six years, Syria has been locked in a vicious war pitting the Assad regime -- along with allies Russia, Iran and Hezbollah -- against a plethora of armed opposition groups, many of which enjoy overt foreign support.

According to UN figures, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict and millions more forced to flee their homes.

*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this report from Ankara