Khaddur Hadji Nouri Al Kad ran a coffehouse in town of Sermada near the Turkey border. When the tanks were deployed in customs area and the neighborhood was bombed, the coffeehouse was destroyed.
Khaddur Hadji Nouri Al Kad: I am from town of Sermada in Idlib Province, Syria. I am 41 years old. I am a father of 3 children.
ORSAM: Could you tell us about your life before the civil war in Syria, what you went through during the civil war and the reasons why you came to Turkey?
Khaddur Hadji Nouri Al Kad: Town of Sermada is the nearest location to Turkey border. I ran a coffeehouse there for years. It was a stamping ground of truck drivers. Those who waited for their turn in the queue in customs while coming from Turkey and returning to Turkey left their vehicles and stayed with me. Some people waited for days. So I made many friends from Hatay. When the civil war broke out, there was no job opportunities left in the town of Sermada. When tanks were deployed in the customs area and the area was bombed, my coffeehouse was destroyed as well. Neither trucks came, nor did I have any place left to serve them. As a family, we passed through wire fences and we settled in Reyhanlı. Driver friends rent a house for me and helped me. But as the number of Syrians coming to Reyhanlı increased, cord was cut. I opened a shop in Reyhanlı. I sell sandwiches, hummus and wraps. I pay 500 TL for the rent. Other expenses cost at least 600 TL. At least 1500 TL is needed for monthly expenses including electricity, water, gas bills. However, I cannot earn this amount of money. My child studies at 7th grade in primary school. In Syria, the primary education is 8 years. A school was opened in Reyhanlı. The fee for service is 20 TL. But I cannot even pay it.
My house in Syria was invaded. Like many other houses, it was destroyed and plundered. Beforehand, we could bring cheap bread and food products from Syria, but we cannot provide them anymore. Trade and production in Syria came to a stop. My relatives stocked up on flour and wheat. However, now it is a bigger crime to sell wheat than selling drug in Syria. The people can neither find a mill to make flour nor can they sell their wheat.
* This interview was made by Feyyat Özyazar in Reyhanlı district of Hatay, on 27 December 2012.
