People from Kobanê who reached the village of Boydê in Suruç in their vehicles, which are being kept in an area at the border encircled with wire fences by the Turkish soldiers, say that they face many problems, primarily repression and maltreatment by Turkish soldiers, as well as theft.

Xelil Amar, from Kobanê, whose vehicle and relatives are in the encircled area at the border, said they suffer maltreatment by Turkish soldiers when they want to go to their vehicles. Amar said they are threatened with guns by the soldiers, “they hit my head on an armoured vehicle. Our relatives who stay next to the vehicles in the encircled area are not allowed to go neither to this side nor to the other side”, adds Amar. Another person whose relatives are in the encircled area, Delil Baki, said “they take the aid we take there and pour it on the ground and insult us. Turkey is openly giving support to ISIS”.

Xelil Amar said they experienced violence at the hands of the soldiers when they went to take their cars and added: “They prevented us taking food to the people there. They also threatened us with guns, opening fire towards us. I was injured when they hit my head on an armoured vehicle. Last night, they beat some citizens in the wooded area. They open fire on people. There are hundreds of women, elderly people and children there, but they arbitrarily fire gas bombs on them. They do not allow us to take food to those people. Our relatives staying nearby our vehicles are not allowed to go neither to this side nor to the other side”.  

Another person from Kobanê, Delil Baki, stressed that the people who stay near the vehicles in the encircled area are in a difficult situation and added: “There are ill people there. They come next to the wire, but the soldiers stop them and do not allow them to pass. They also prevent us giving food to them. They take the food and pour it on the ground. They insult us. Everyone sees this maltreatment of the soldiers. They fire gas bombs on people. There are small children there who get seriously affected by the gas. Our people have had to remain in that area because of the attacks of ISIS. Turkey is openly supporting ISIS”.

Another person, Welat Daban, whose vehicle is also in that area, said the soldiers cut off the electricity when ISIS attacks to help them to advance, while putting the lights on when YPG and YPJ forces advance to make them targets. Daban said it is very clear that the Turkish soldiers are helping ISIS.