Displaced residents from Turkish-occupied Rish Ayno (Ras al-Ayn) demand safe return during protest in Zalin, North and East Syria
ZALIN, North and East Syria — Under the slogan Safe Return Is a Legitimate and Constitutional Right, displaced residents of the Turkish-occupied city of Rish Ayno (Ras al-Ayn), representing various ethnic groups, staged a mass march in front of the United Nations headquarters in Zalin (Qamishli), North and East Syria. The demonstrators demanded a safe return to their city, from which they were forcibly displaced in 2019.
Speaking to our news desk, Simon Jirjis, a resident of Rish Ayno, emphasized the community’s ongoing struggle. “Since 2019, we have been displaced from our city. Every year, we hold these marches with the hope of reclaiming our homes,” Jirjis said.
Jwan Isso, Public Relations Official for the Rish Ayno Displaced People Committee, explained the purpose of the demonstration. “Through these marches, we aim to pressure the international community and the UN to facilitate the safe return of residents to their homes,” he stated.
Isso underscored that the return of residents depends on ending the Turkish occupation of the city, which has persisted for nearly six years. “The residents of Rish Ayno, Tel Abyad, and other occupied areas in North and East Syria have the same right to return to their homes as other Syrians across the country, who have begun to rebuild their lives after the fall of the dictatorial regime of Bashar al-Assad,” he added.
The Rish Ayno Displaced People Committee announced plans to deliver a formal letter to the UN, demanding an end to the Turkish occupation and the facilitation of the displaced residents’ return to their homes.