“People who have become poor, who have martyrs in their families and who are becoming less resistant started to immigrate,” says Muammer Sabri Al Jafari-Abu Nihad.
Muammer Sabri Al Jafari-Abu Nihad: I am from Martmasrin district of Idlib Province, Syria. I am 65 years old. I have 8 children. We have agricultural lands and farms. We are a notable family. I have 6 sons and 2 daughters. We have various agricultural implements, houses both in our town and in our olive groves. My two sons de facto fight in Jaish al-Hur. My relatives and I provide them with financial support.
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?
Muammer Sabri Al Jafari-Abu Nihad: When the civil war broke out, our houses were firstly bombed through tanks and then through jets. Our houses were all destroyed. We ended up homeless with nothing. Our agricultural lands were destroyed, oil groves were plundered. While the Regular Army dropped bombs, on the other hand robbers gave damage. While we resisted against the Regular Army, some people among us formed an organization. They deceived poor people and formed a robbery gang. They plundered state-warehouses, and places with basic foodstuff. In fact they stocked oil, increased prices and then they sold it. If a person like me in a good shape is on the verge of bankruptcy, I can't imagine those with an average salary per month. Those gangs gave us more damage than the Regular Army did. We began to fight both against them and also against the Army. Many people among us were killed or injured due to the internal conflict. The civil war in Syria turned into a war between well-intentioned and evil-minded people. People who have become poor, who have martyrs in their families and who are becoming less resistant started to immigrate. Along with my family I also had to come to Turkey. I am not planning to go back to Syria unless things settle down.
* This interview was made by Feyyat Özyazar in Reyhanlı district of Hatay, on 25 November 2012.
