Hundreds of thousands of people have left their homes in northern Syria because of the Turkish occupation. Turkish media are trying to create the impression that the displaced people could return without fear. An elderly couple, who had fled from the village of Lêlan near Serêkaniyê, believed this and began the return journey from the Washokani camp near Hesekê. The consequences of the decision were fatal, however.

The couple's son, Casim al-Mihemed, explained that after his parents returned to their village, the father was kidnapped by jihadist militiamen. The kidnappers demanded a ransom from the son, saying that otherwise they would kill their victim. "We had to pay five million Syrian liras (the equivalent of about 10,000 euros) to free my father. Now my parents are back in camp and safe," said al-Mihemed.

On returning to their village, al-Mihemed's parents first noticed that their belongings had been looted. The mother recovered only a fraction of the barley and wheat stocks that the family had deposited at home. "When she then wanted to take these supplies out of the house, the militiamen prevented her from doing so. They told that she would first have to obtain permission from the Emir (group leader) of the Sultan Murad Brigades. But the Emir refused my mother's permission. When my father wanted to leave the village, he was kidnapped by the militiamen. Only by paying the ransom could we save him. In order to get the demanded sum together, we sold the tractor of our family", said the son.