URFA - On the 3rd day of the operation against North and East Syria, clashes on the border line intensified. Most of the people living in Ceylanpinar and Akcakale districts of Urfa, one of the border cities of the region, left their homes because they were directly affected by the war.
While the air attacks continue on the 3rd day of the operation, violent clashes take place in some parts of the border line.
The two centers where the attacks of the Turkish Armed Forces are Serêkaniyê ve Girê Spî. There are intense attacks on these two city centers, where civilians are also targeted in order to evacuate the city by causing panic among the people. Due to this response to the attacks, the border line is the scene of intense clashes. Urfa Governorate declared some regions 'Special Security Zones' due to the clashes on the second day of the operation.
Ceylanpinar, Akcakale, Suruc, Birecik and Viransehir districts of the city have turned into a battlefield due to the clashes. In addition to these two districts, security points were established in almost every corner along the border.
One of the centers affected by the war is the Ceylanpinar district of Urfa, located across Serêkaniyê.Two people lost their lives as a result of the bombings as it is the main base of the war. After the deaths and injuries, almost half of the people left the district. Republic, Mehmet Akif Ersoy and Mevlana neighborhoods near the border line were completely evacuated by police and soldiers. The citizens who left the town mostly settled in Urfa city center and Siverek and Viransehir districts. Exploding bombs and bullets are the only sounds in these districts where many citizens migrated. The teachers have left the city as the schools have been closed for 2 days.
Residents who did not leave Ceylanpınar are in fear and anxiety. The residents whom we spoke to said those who had the opportunity have left and those who did not, will face the consequences of the war. The citizens who emphasized that they have never been harmed by those across the border before, reacted to the war and said 'The war always finds us.'
In order to follow the operation, a large number of local and foreign press members have settled in these districts on the border line of Urfa. The Urfa Governorate prepared a hill in Akçakale, just across Gire Spî to follow the operation. However, only accredited members of the press are allowed to this field. Some of the employees of some TV stations from the Federated Kurdistan Region who broadcast in Kurdish are not allowed in this area because they are not accredited.