by الحسناء عدرا | Feb 13, 2021 | Cost of War - EN, Roundtables - EN, Uncategorized
* تُنشر هذه المادة ضمن ملف صالون سوريا “المعاناة اليومية في سوريا“
ما أن تقودك قدماك إلى النهاية الشمالية لسوق البزورية في دمشق القديمة، حتى يطالعك قصر العظم بتصميمه المعماري الإسلامي، وزخارفه المطعمة بالصدف المستلقي على خشب الجوز والكينا المعتقين لتتساءل في سرك: “من هي اليد الماهرة التي صنعت كل هذا الجمال!”. وخلال تدرجك بلاط الأرصفة الممتدة بين باب شرقي وباب توما وصولاً إلى القيميرية، يأتيك الجواب، هم حرفيو الموزاييك وتصديف الخشب. تُحاول البحث عنهم وتقفي أثرهم، لتتفاجأ أن معظمهم هاجروا وهُجروا وباتوا يعدون على أصابع اليد الواحدة.
يعد اسكندر الحلبي من المدافعين الشرسين عن هذه المهنة، والصامدين في وجه اندثارها، خاصة بعد سنوات الحرب الطويلة التي تركت أثرها، شأنها شأن المهن الأخرى. يقول الحلبي عن تجربته: “بدأت حرفة الموزاييك بالتراجع مع بداية الحرب، هذه المهنة تستهوي السياح، والسياحة متوقفة منذ أكثر من ثماني سنوات، ناهيك عن فقدان المادة الأولية وهي الخشب، إذ تعتمد الموزاييك على أخشاب الجوز والكينا والليمون والزيتون والحور، جميعها مصدرها الغوطة الشرقية التي تدمرت وقطعت أشجارها، وبالتالي أثرت على إنتاج وديمومة هذه المهنة”.
يوضح الحلبي الذي نال الجائزة الأولى في حرفة الموزاييك خلال مشاركته في أحد المعارض الخارجية منذ أربعة أعوام، أن ارتفاع أسعار المواد الأولية للخشب المستورد تحدي إضافي له خاصة، وللحرفة عموماً، وفي حال توفر الخشب المحلي، فهو مكلف للغاية نتيجة صعوبة توفيره والتحكم بأسعاره، وبالتالي امتناع الناس عن الشراء، يضيف قائلاً: “الحصار الاقتصادي على سورية ضاعف من انقراض هذه الحرفة، لعدم وجود أسواق خارجية لتصريف المنتجات، بينما لا يوجد أسواق داخلية لمهنتنا كونها لا تتجاوز الكماليات، على خلاف الأسواق الدولية، لأنها حرفة دمشقية ويدوية وتنال الكثير من الإعجاب دولياً”.
أثر الركود الاقتصادي العالمي والعقوبات الاقتصادية على سوريا بشكل كبير ومباشر على هذه الحرفة، بدءاً من ارتفاع أسعار المواد الأولية التي وصلت إلى أضعاف مضاعفة، كالصَّدَفْ الذي كان بعشرين ألف ليرة وبات الآن بسبعين ألفاً، إلى جانب الجائحة العالمية كوفيد 19 التي حدت من حركة المطارات وألغت فرصة المشاركة في المعارض الدولية للحرف اليدوية.
قلة الأيدي العاملة وهجرة أصحابها الأصليين
لايملك الحلبي (عضو مجلس إدارة في الجمعية الحرفية للمنتوجات الشرقية) أيدياً عاملة تساعده في الورشة، والأمر ينطبق على زملائه في الحرفة، وعن ذلك يقول: “الورشات في دمشق موزعة في العشوائيات ولا يتجاوز عددها العشرين ورشة، أما ورش الريف فإما أغلقت أو دمرت أو أحرقت أو هاجر أربابها طوعاً أو هُجروا قسراً، بحثاً عن مصدر رزق أكبر”.
يُشير الحرفي إلى بدء عودة بعض ورشات العمل تدريجياً إلى العمل في الأرياف، لكن بشكل محدود وخجول كصنع طاولات زهر أو علب صغيرة الحجم لا أكثر، مطالباً بدعم جدي وملموس لهذه الحرفة قبل أن تنقرض كلياً، خاصة أن الدعم الذي يحظى به الحرفيين “محدود جداً” حسب وصفه.
تُعد ورشة إسكندر القابعة في حي الطبالة من الورشات الباقية على قيد الحياة، بالرغم من مساحتها الضيقة ومعداتها البسيطة، لكنها تنجز عملاً فنياً في غاية السحر والدقة مع نهاية اليوم وغروب الشمس. وعن آلية صنع الموازييك (الفسيفساء) ومراحل استكمالها، يتحدث الرجل الخمسيني: “أحول الأخشاب إلى عيدان طويلة ورفيعة بمقاسات موحدة ومتساوية الطول في غاية الدقة، وذلك بعد قصها عبر قاطعة الخشب المعروفة باسم المنشار، ثم أقوم بضم هذه الأعواد وفق شكل هندسي معين وأغمسها بالغراء ليوم كامل لضمان التصاقها وتماسكها وعدم انفراطها لتصبح جاهزة في اليوم الثاني وهو ما نطلق عليه اسم الأماية التي بدورها نقوم بقصها لينتج عنها قشور خشبية تدعى الموزاييك، بحيث نقوم بإلصاقها على القطع الخشبية المخالفة والأثاث وسواها”. ويوضح الحلبي أنه يترك في بعض الأحيان أماكن فارغة على الخشب لتلبيسه بالصدف الطبيعي وتسوية السطوح ليرسلها فيما بعد إلى البراد بغية التلميع.
الجميع يستأثر لقب شيخ الكار
إلى جانب الحلبي الذي ينسب لنفسه لقب شيخ الكار، هناك العديد أيضاً ممن يستأثرون بهذا اللقب. فمثلاً يقول الحسن الحرستاني مشهراً في وجهي ختم العائلة كدليل دامغ يقطع الشك بعراقة انتسابه للمهنة “أباً عن جد”. ويتابع حديثه بالقول: “ورثت هذه المصلحة عن أبي الذي بدوره ورثها عن أبيه ثم جده، فجدي هو شيخ الكار.”
تعلم الحرستاني هذه الحرفة منذ الصغر إلى أن اتخذها في الكبر مهنة تدر له المال. تمكن خلال سنوات عمله من تعلم أصول المهنة وإتقان جميع أساليب طرز الحفر الشرقية التي تسمى خيوط الحفر، حيث بدأت هذه الخيوط غائرة ثم سرعان ما تطورت مع الزمن وأصبحت تجمع ما بين الغائرة والنافرة معاً، وعن ذلك يعد أنواع الخيوط: “هناك القيصري والعربي والفاطمي والأيوبي والفارسي وغيرها”.
تختلف أسعار القطع الخشبية نظراً لاختلاف المواد الداخلة فيها، إذ لكل منها قيمة نقدية مختلفة عن الأخرى، فتلك التي تحتوي صدفاً بحرياً تكون أغلى من النهري، وكذلك المستورد (من الفلبين) أغلى مقارنة بالمحلي(الديري)، بالإضافة إلى كمية الفضة والعضم المستخدمة فيها.
تاريخ صناعة الموزاييك الدمشقية
تعد صناعة الموزاييك الدمشقية من أقدم المهن العريقة التي اشتهرت بها المدينة. يعود تاريخ صناعة الموزاييك إلى أكثر من 700 عام حيث اشتهرت هذه المهنة أيام الأتراك. ويُعد بيت نظام ومكتب عنبر وقصر خالد العظم والسباعي والقوتلي من أشهر البيوت الدمشقية المزينة بهذه المادة. كما أصبح الموزاييك الدمشقي كالسفير الذي سبق السياسيين إلى معظم دول العالم، حيث يحتل الموزاييك الدمشقي مكان الصدارة في أثاث الصالون في قصور رئاسية عالمية كقصر رئيس الجمهورية الفرنسية وقصر رئيس جمهورية المكسيك؛ فضلاً عن قصور خليجية متعددة.
by الحسناء عدرا | Oct 18, 2020 | Cost of War - EN, Reports - EN, Uncategorized
“بما أنو أزمة البنزين رجعت، فلازم بطريقك ترجع”، بهذا المنشور المختصر أعاد مجموعة من الشباب السوريين إحياء مبادرة “بطريقك” كحل متواضع لعله يقف في وجه أزمة البنزين العالقة في ظل انعدام أفق حلها حتى إشعار آخر، مع الإشارة إلى أن المبادرة ليست بجديدة، بل انطلقت في العام الماضي للتخفيف من تداعيات فقدان مادة البنزين التي تكررت مجدداً.
تقوم فكرة المبادرة على مبدأ المساعدة والمنفعة المشتركة، بعيداً عن الأنانية وتوظيف وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي في خدمة السوريين. يتحدث مؤسس الحملة جميل قزلو قائلاً: “يقوم كل فرد ممن يمتلكون سيارة خاصة بنشر إعلان على المجموعة التي تحمل اسم المبادرة، يذكر فيه وجهته وخط السير مع ذكر توقيت ومكان الانطلاق، بالإضافة إلى رقم الهاتف للتواصل معه وملصق مكتوب عليه بطريقك للتعريف بالخدمة”.
تهدف المبادرة المجانية إلى ردم الهوة السحيقة بين أطياف المجتمع السوري، وترميم الضرر والتشوهات التي أحدثتها الحرب السورية، وعن ذلك يقول قزلو: “ترمي الحملة إلى كسر حاجز الخوف بين السوريين الذي سببته سنوات الحرب الطويلة، وما خلفته وراءها من أزمة ثقة فيما بينهم، تهدف المبادرة بالدرجة الأولى إلى إزالة حواجز الشك والخوف من الآخر الناجم من موقفه السياسي أو مذهبه الديني، والعودة إلى المبادئ الأصيلة الني نشأ عليها السوري قبل نشوب الحرب التي نهشت كيانه”. ويضيف: “المبادرة تهدف إلى جعل هذه الخدمة عادة اجتماعية، وجزءاً من ثقافة المجتمع السوري، واستمرارية عملها إلى ما بعد انتهاء أزمة البنزين”.
وبالرغم من البعد الإنساني والحضاري الذي تنشده المبادرة، غير أنها تواجه العديد من العقبات لناحية الترخيص والحصول على التسهيلات، حيث يذكر قزلو: “واجهنا العديد من العراقيل، فمنذ العام الماضي نحاول جاهدين الحصول على موافقة شرطة السير لترخيص الخدمة وجعلها متاحة للجميع، لكن دون جدوى”. هذا بالإضافة إلى مشاكل التمويل، فالمشروع مايزال شخصياً، يتكبد الشاب تكاليفه مع شريكة له، ويوضح بالقول: “أتبنى المشروع مع صديقتي زهراء روماني على عاتقنا الشخصي، ندفع من جيبتنا ثمن المكالمات الهاتفية وتصميم البوسترات ونقوم بإجراءات التنسيق بين أصحاب السيارات والزبائن”.
ولبث شعور الطمأنينة والثقة بين المشاركين في المبادرة، يطلب قزلو من كل شخص لديه سيارة خاصة رقم هاتفه الشخصي وأوراق الميكانيك وصورة عن الهوية ونوع السيارة ورقمها، بالإضافة إلى رقم هاتف الزبون، وذلك تفادياً لحصول أي مشاكل لا تحمد عقباها.
علا ديوب، ترى أن المبادرة تنطوي على أهميتها المعنوية في إعادة غرس مشاعر التآخي بين السوريين والشعور بآلام الآخر، خوفاً من انقراض هذه المفاهيم وحلول مكانها مفاهيم مشوهة، تقول الشابة التي أعربت عن استعدادها لتوصيل 3 فتيات يومياً في الصباح الباكر: “الدافع الإنساني هو ما جعلني أشارك في هذه الحملة، لطالما فكرت بالآخرين، وبأوضاعهم السيئة، فهناك العديد من الفتيات اللواتي ينتظرن أكثر من نصف ساعة ليستقلين سيارة أو سرفيس في سبيل الوصول إلى عملهن أو جامعتهن، أضع نفسي مكانهن، فأزمة المواصلات مستمرة وتزداد سوءاً”.
تعقب الشابة أن المبادرة جاءت لإنعاش العديد من المفردات التي أهلكتها الحرب والعمل على إعادتها إلى الذاكرة السورية كالجمل التالية التي اعتاد السوريون ترديدها على ألسنتهم كـ “الناس لبعض” و”إذا خليت خربت” و”نحنا لبعض”، إذ تجد علا أن الحملة تنمي حس الإنسانية لدى جيل الحرب، وأنه بالرغم من بشاعة الأخيرة، غير أنها أفرزت شريحة شبابية قادرة على تجاوز الأزمات بأفكار خلاقة وبإمكانيات متواضعة، لكن هناك دوماً من يحاول منعهم وهدر الطاقات الإيجابية والنوايا الإصلاحية، وذلك حسب كلام الشابة.
اعتاد طارق شميط توصيل كل عابر سبيل يطلب المساعدة، لذلك لم تضف إليه المبادرة أي جديد، سوى الانضمام إلى المجموعة و \نشر المنشورات التي يعلن فيها عن وجهته القادمة، وعن ذلك يقول: “أتعاطف مع أبناء شعبي المنهك، فأجور المواصلات أصبحت مرتفعة، كما أن حالة الازدحام خانقة لاتحتمل، أحب تقديم المساعدة لغيري، فأنا معتاد على توصيل الناس، فلم يتغير شيء”.
لا يرى طارق (مخرج سينمائي) في المبادرة أنها حل جذري لنقص مادة المحروقات وأزمة المواصلات، لكنها محاولة إيجابية خجولة وسط الأجواء السلبية المشحونة في البلاد، مضيفاً: “أجد أن لها فائدة اجتماعية، حيث تعمل على تقوية أواصر العلاقات الاجتماعية وزيادة الثقة بين الشعب السوري التي خسرها خلال سنوات الحرب” .
من جهتها، تقول رشا وهي إحدى المستفيدات من خدمة “بطريقك”: “جاءت هذه المبادرة في التوقيت المناسب وسط حالة الشلل في تأمين المواصلات، وتعزيز العلاقات بين السوريين بعد أن تحولت إلى علاقة قائمة على الخوف والتوجس من الآخر بفعل سنوات الحرب الطويلة”. أما ماهر فيجد في المبادرة بالرغم من بساطتها تعبيراً صادقاً عن نوايا السوريين في إحداث التغيير والرغبة الحقيقية في الإصلاح في بنية المجتمع السوري.
هذا ولم تقتصر الخدمة فقط على التوصيل بالسيارات، بل ذهب العديد من المشاركين بوضع دراجاتهم النارية في خدمة الآخرين، كما امتدت خدمات التوصيل إلى خارج حدود العاصمة دمشق، كعلاء الذي أعلن عن رغبته بنقل 3 ركاب من محافظة طرطوس إلى الشام.
by عامر فياض | Apr 8, 2020 | Cost of War - EN, Roundtables - EN, Uncategorized
This article is published as part of the Salon Syria Roundtable: War on Corona: A New Fateful Battle for the Syrians
Despite procedures taken by the government to tackle the Corona virus outbreak like closure of schools and universities; suspension of work for most official employees; cessation of public transport; closure of restaurants, cafés, and commercial shops; nighttime curfew; and a ban on transportation between governorates, and despite a statement by the United Nations saying that the situation in Syria could be catastrophic and the increase of infected cases to ten, including two deaths, many people in Damascus do not care about all of that, as streets in the daytime are full of pedestrians, honking cars, and calls of street vendors.
When I looked out of my balcony and saw all these people moving about in the streets, I asked myself “aren’t these people afraid for their lives? Doesn’t the Corona virus scare them? Why don’t they quarantine themselves in their homes just like most of the people around the world?” The answer then came to me from their exhausted faces and weary footsteps. Simply put, they are like no other people in the world. They resemble no one except for their country, which has suffered from the epidemic of war, besieging them for nine years and forcing them to experience countless forms of death.
The Poor Do Not Even Have the Option to Be Afraid of Corona
At seven in the morning, Abu Abdullah sweeps the street in front of a few grocery stores, which were exempt from the closure decision, he then carries the trash to a cart using his hands. He does not use a mask or gloves, for he does not give attention to the epidemic. “We have been playing with death for nine years. We escaped it more than once. I do not think God Almighty will kill us with an invisible virus,” he said.
Abu Abdullah is not an employee of the municipality. He performs these tasks in exchange for some money from the owners of these shops, in addition to vegetable and fruit leftovers and dry bread, which they give him for free.
Not far from Abu Ahmad and in front of a kiosk that sells government subsidized bread, dozens of people gather in a gruesome crowd. A quick glance reveals that most of them are poor and destitute. I stopped a woman who has just come out of the crowd as she angerly removed her scarf off her faces, which she was using as an alternative for a mask and asked her if she feared being present in crowded places. “If I could buy normal [unsubsidized] bread, I wouldn’t come here. The price of a bundle of that bread is seven hundred Syrian pounds, which is enough to cover the cost of an entire meal for me and my family. We, the poor, are prohibited from being afraid of the epidemic,” she replied.
Adnan, a child working as a delivery boy for a supermarket, is also fearless of the Corona virus. He wears his mask and carries on with his work with a smile on his face. He climbs the stairs of dozens of buildings carrying the orders of customers who chose to stay at home for fear of their safety. This is a choice that Adnan and his brother, who works in a similar job, cannot have because they are the only breadwinners of their displaced family suffering from grave living conditions.
Behind a small cart selling strawberries and green almonds stands Abu Ghassan wearing a mask and gloves and shouting out for his few goods. He is convinced of the importance and necessity of the quarantine, but he cannot do it himself. “I wish I could stay at home and relax from the epidemic nightmare that daunts upon me while I am working. I must deal with dozens of customers every day. However, if I stay at home, I might survive the Corona virus, but I will not survive the hunger,” he said.
With the start of the Stay at Home campaign and the nighttime curfew a few days ago, and in a dramatic scene, most roasteries I passed by were packed with customers buying enough supplies of nuts and salty treats to last them for days or even weeks in preparation for the home quarantine. Outside one of these roasteries stood an old man begging pedestrians and customers walking out with their bags, “help me, may God keep Corona away from you,” he was saying. A few meters away, a child was lying on the sidewalk wearing worn-out clothes with no care in the world about this epidemic.
Corona Threatens the Livelihood of the Poor
In one of the squares in the city of Jaramana, Abu Shaker, a taxi driver, waits for more than two hours for passengers, who have become almost non-existent, to get into his car, which he sterilizes a number of times every day. “Our work suffered after the decision to close restaurants, markets, and commercial shops. People’s movement was paralyzed to a great extent. Fear also found its way to their hearts and they are now afraid to take a taxi because they are concerned of getting infected with the virus,” said Abu Shaker. “I have to pay a monthly installment for the owner of the taxi in exchange for using it. Because of the nighttime curfew, my work hours decreased, and I am unable to pay the installment,” he added.
Several men, working as porters of furniture and construction material, gather in another square. Their eyes, filled with sorrow and pain, stare in all directions in search of someone who might require their work.
One of these men, Abu Yaser, tells me about their work during the Corona crisis, “a couple of days ago, I carried four sandbags and two cement bags to an apartment on the fifth floor for three thousand Syrian pounds. This was the last job I did. I was lucky compared to other porters who have not done much work for several days.” He then went on to say, “our work provides for our livelihood day by day. We are now at risk of losing our jobs, as people will no longer need our service in such conditions.”
At noon, a popcorn trolley is blaring a famous folklore popcorn song but there are no kids gathering around it as its owner was accustomed to. “In the past I used to sell a lot. Especially when children came out of schools. After the Corona crisis, my sales have dropped seventy per cent because children are no longer going out of their homes as much as they used to. I fear that the situation might get worse, then I would have to stop this work, which is my only source of income,” said the trolly’s owner.
Only the Poor Are Paying the Price for the Preventative Measures
Due to the closure decisions and the cessation of public transport, thousands of people lost their jobs and are now threatened by a daunting and frightening future, especially those who do not have any other source of income or some form of support they can resort to.
Shadi did not get the chance to celebrate his new café as he had to close it one week after opening it. “I spent two months preparing for the opening. I prepared the place and put a lot of effort in the decorations. I had to borrow a million Syrian pounds. Most of the equipment I got for the café have not been paid for yet,” Shadi said. “What can I do now to make up for my loss? How can I pay the rent? I fear the closure and curfew will go on for a long time because in that case I might die of sorrow rather than Corona,” he added.
Abu Omar, a bus driver, told me about the implications of his stopping work, “the bus used to provide work for three drivers, thus, three families were being supported. During the past few days, our income decreased by more than a half. The decision to stop all public transportation deprived our families from income and we are now threatened with necessity. Had it been not for the financial aid my siblings have provided, I would have actually starved.”
Mohannad, who used to work as a waiter in a restaurant, is also suffering. “I understand the importance of the closure decision in preserving public safety. However, will the restaurant owner give me any compensation to help me secure my daily livelihood? Will my landlord relieve me of paying rent? Will I find someone who can provide medicine for my sick mother who suffers from hypertension and diabetes?”
Preventative Measures Cost a Lot
An ounce of preventions is worth a pound of cure. Despite the importance of this adage, it is not suitable for many people in Syria. Prevention requires a lot of money. Due to the greed of the crisis dealers, the price of a mask reached seven hundred Syrian pounds, which is also the price for a small bottle of rubbing alcohol. The outrageous increase in prices also affected soap and cleaning materials, adding an additional burden on people who barely can provide their daily bread. In a saddening paradox, Abu Ghassan (the strawberry and green almond seller) paid his full daily labor to buy the mask, gloves, and a small bottle of rubbing alcohol.
Reinforcing the immune system requires various healthy foods, in addition to psychological comfort and avoiding stress. However, most people cannot enjoy these luxuries as the prices of fruits and vegetable skyrocketed. For example, the price of bananas, apples, and onions reached one thousand Syrian pounds for one kilogram, and the price of a kilogram of lemon or green pepper, which are high in vitamin C, surpassed one thousand six hundred Syrian pounds. Buying meat has turned into an unattainable dream.
Perhaps the man I met at the grocery store says it best. After he was intent on buying two kilograms of lemons and onions, he angrily stopped when he learned their prices. He eventually bought two onions and two lemons and sarcastically said, “they give advice to strengthen our immunity system! Do we strengthen it by eating bread, lentil, and bulgur? The poverty, pain, and deprivation we are experiencing will surely destroy all parts of our bodies. It seems that there is no savior for us other than Divine Providence.”
When I asked a butcher about how his business fairing, he answered with a sigh, “most customers are just buying one or two hundred grams of meat. Some people are buying the bones and putting them with the soup to give it the flavor of meat. People are barely able to buy bread and cheap vegetables.”
As the time for the night curfew sets, a sudden silence prevails. People then experience another form of suffering inside their homes that lack most entertainment gadgets and the most basic necessities of life as a result of previous crises, for example, the shortage in cooking gas, long hours of electric blackouts, and deteriorating internet services which hinders electronic communications, the only outlet available for people.
I stare at the dark windows of the houses and I think about their residents. What are they doing? What does the future hold for them? Will they be able to sleep with all these nightmares they are experiencing while they are asleep or awake?
by Syria in a Week Editors | Feb 26, 2020 | Syria in a Week - EN, Uncategorized
The following is a selection by our editors of significant weekly developments in Syria. Depending on events, each issue will include anywhere from four to eight briefs. This series is produced in both Arabic and English in partnership between Salon Syria and Jadaliyya. Suggestions and blurbs may be sent to info@salonsyria.com.
Dream of Crossing Over
23 February 2020
Military escalation by government forces and their Russian ally in the governorate of Idlib has forced around nine hundred thousand people to displace since December. Many of them headed toward areas near the Turkish border, considering that it is safer there.
Near the town of Kafr Luceen, dozens of displaced families live in humble rooms built in a slum camp just a few meters away from the cement wall separating Syrian and Turkish territories. Some of them have plastic water tanks or solar panels on the roofs. The rooms, which were built over time and encompass tents occupied by newly displaced people, have turned into a small village. Children play near the wall attempting to climb it and one of them is wearing a military uniform with a Turkish flag on it.
Turkish border patrols often shoot at whomever tries to mount the wall in order to stop an influx of refugees into the country, killing dozens of people since Turkey sealed off its border with Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Some people have paid large sums of money to smugglers to help them cross the border.
Turkey, which hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees, has tightly closed its border in fear of a new refugee influx due to the escalation in northwest Syria. In recent weeks, it has sent reinforcement to Idlib to support militant factions. It has also deployed observation posts in the area under a truce agreement with Russia – the most prominent supporter of Damascus.
Quadruple Meeting on Idlib
22 February 2020
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday announced a joint summit with the leaders of Russia, France, and Germany on 5 March to discuss the situation in Idlib governorate, the last opposition stronghold in northwest Syria.
Erdogan did not specify the location of the summit, but he told reporters after Friday prayers that Macron and Merkel suggested that it be held in Istanbul, but Putin has not yet decided.
The offensive by Syrian government forces in the governorate of Idlib has led to the displacement of around one million people.
The office of German Chancellor said that Macron and Merkel on Friday expressed “their willingness to meet president Putin and Turkish President Erdogan in an effort to find a political solution to the crisis.”
Diplomats said that Russia prevented the UN Security Council on Wednesday from issuing a statement calling for the cessation of hostilities and respect of international humanitarian law in northwest Syria.
Turkey threatened to launch an “imminent” attack in Idlib after its forces were bombed by Syrian government forces and gave Damascus until the end of February to redeploy its troops.
A Turkish soldier was killed on Saturday by Syrian government bombardment in Idlib governorate, according to the Turkish defense ministry. The Turkish army responded to the “odious attack” by destroying twenty-one targets for the Syrian government, the ministry added.
This raises the death toll of Turkish soldiers to seventeen in the confrontations that began early February.
Damascus and Washington
22 February 2020
Damascus condemned US statements criticizing the reopening of Aleppo international airport, which resumed reception of civil planes after years of closure.
The US Secretary of State Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said that the resumption of flights from Damascus to Aleppo were “shameless” on part of President Bashar al-Assad “as his barrel bombs fall day and night on the people of Idlib.”
These statements “show that the US administration has lost its balance. The real shamelessness is in the policies of this administration in assaulting others and interfering in their affairs,” an official source in the Syrian foreign ministry was quoted by the official SANA news agency on Saturday.
Opening Damascus-Aleppo Road
22 February 2020
The Syrian transport ministry announced the opening of the major highway between Damascus and Aleppo for traffic on Saturday after government forces regained control of this vital artery in an offensive supported by Russia.
The recapturing of the M5 road from opposition fighters represents a major gain for president Bashar al-Assad because it signifies that the government has retaken control of the road between the two largest cities in Syria for the first time since the conflict broke out nine years ago.
With Russian support, government forces have captured new land in areas in northwest Syria, the last major stronghold for opposition fighters, since December.
Removing opposition fighters from this highway was part of an agreement reached between Russia and Turkey in 2018 that called for a buffer zone between the fighting parties in Idlib, however, the intensity of the battles has not settled down.
Idlib Alert
20 February 2020
Cessation of hostilities in the Syrian governorate of Idlib, which is under a widespread offensive by the government and Russia, has sparked intense diplomatic activity on Friday that is expected to culminate in a phone call by the Turkish and Russian presidents, who are considered major players in the conflict.
Before this call, which Ankara said would take place at 15:00 GMT, Erdogan discussed the situation in Idlib with the French President Emanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He called on them to “take tangible steps to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe,” according to the Turkish presidency.
Missiles for Idlib
20 February 2020
Turkey asked the United states to deploy two patriot missile defense batteries on its southern border to enable it to confront any future attacks by Syrian forces with support from Russian air forces, said a high-level Turkish official in Ankara.
Turkey could use F-16 fighter jets to strike units allied to president Assad in Idlib if the Patriot system is not deployed in the Hatay province on the Turkish border, Bloomberg news agency cited the official as saying.
The official who asked not to be named said that Ankara has not yet received a response from the United States to this request which was conveyed to the US administration by the US envoy to Syria James Jeffrey.
The US embassy in Ankara refused to comment of the Turkish official’s comments.
170 Thousand in the Open Air
20 February 2020
Around one hundred and seventy thousand people out of nine hundred thousand displace people live in the open air after an offensive by government forces in northwest Syria compelled them to leave their homes, said the United Nations on Thursday.
Since December, Idlib and surrounding areas, controlled by Tahrir al-Sham (previously Nusra) and other opposition factions, have come under a widespread attack by Damascus, which has seen these forces advance in vast areas.
The offensive has caused the biggest influx of displacement since the onset of the conflict in 2011. International organizations characterize Idlib governorate as a “huge camp” because it already hosts three million people, half of whom are displaced people who fled from other governorates over the years.
First Airplane in Aleppo
19 February 2020
A civil airplane arrived on Wednesday at Aleppo international airport coming from Damascus, resuming commercial flights to Aleppo in the north after eight years of isolation.
Damascus resumed commercial flights in Aleppo international airport days after the Syrian army took control of the vicinity and ousted opposition factions in order to provide security.
A Syrian Airlines 320 Airbus carried officials including the Minister of Transport Ali Hammoud and Minister of Tourism Mohammed Martini, in addition to a team of journalists who were invited by the ministry of information.
by Syria in a Week Editors | Sep 26, 2019 | Syria in a Week - EN, Uncategorized
The following is a selection by our editors of significant weekly developments in Syria. Depending on events, each issue will include anywhere from four to eight briefs. This series is produced in both Arabic and English in partnership between Salon Syria and Jadaliyya. Suggestions and blurbs may be sent to info@salonsyria.com.
Constitution from Syria
23 September 2019
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem received the UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen to discuss the issue of the Syria Constitutional Committee.
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that Syrian parties reached an “agreement” on the formation of a committee to draft a new constitution for the country, a step considered by the UN as a key gateway to the political process aimed at resolving the eight-year-long conflict.
This is Pedersen’s third visit to Syria since he started his mission at the beginning of the year.
Bombarding the PMF
22 September 2019
The operation commander of the People’s Mobilization Forces (PMF) in al-Anbar governorate Qasem Mosleh said on Sunday that the PMF is ready for any contingency that may occur on the Iraqi-Syrian border in coordination with Iraqi army forces and border guards.
During a security meeting near Qaem and with the presence of brigade commanders in Qati’ in western Anbar to discuss the security and logistic situation in Qaem and the Iraqi-Syrian border, Mosleh said, “the goals of the meeting fall under the framework of studying the security and intelligence preparation in Qati’ in western Anbar and refusing US interventions in internal Iraqi affairs, especially the Iraqi-Syrian border.”
“It has become clear for everybody that building new US bases in the area or any new US presence in that area would lead to instability in the region,” he added.
Bombardment and Truce
21 September 2019
Syrian government forces on Sunday launched tens of missiles towards areas in the southeastern countryside of Idlib, which is controlled by the Syrian opposition.
“Syrian government forces and allied armed groups present in the town of al-Hbait in the southern countryside of Idlib have bombarded the town of Maaret Hirmeh with dozens of shells, causing wide destruction in the property of civilians who displaced towards the northern countryside of Idlib,” said a military commander in the National Front for Liberation – affiliated with the Free Syrian Army.
The commander, who asked to be anonymous, told a German news agency that government forces deployed in al-Qassabieh camp shelled the villages of Um al-Sair and Hassaneh in the southern countryside of Idlib with more than forty rocket shells. Government forces also used surface-to-surface missiles to target the vicinity of the brick factory in the southern countryside of Idlib.
“The onset of military operations by Syrian government forces in Idlib governorate and the bombardment that took place is in fact targeting Nusra Front militants,” a source close to Syrian government forces, who refused to give his name, told the German news agency.
Syrian government forces took control of the northern countryside of Hama in addition to Khan Sheikhoun in mid-August. They declared a truce in Idlib countryside in late September, opening humanitarian corridors between areas they control and areas controlled by the militants.
Turkish Incursion?
20 September 2019
Turkey is ready to act on its southern border with Syria, President Tayyip Erdogan said, after warning that it could take unilateral steps if the US does not establish a “safe zone” in northeast Syria this month.
“Our preparations along our borders are complete,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul on Saturday before departing to attend a UN General Assembly meeting.
Turkey and the US have started joint land and air patrols along part of the border strip, but Ankara says Washington is moving too slowly to establish a sufficiently large safe zone to push Syrian Kurdish forces from the border.
Drone near Damascus
20 September 2019
Damascus said on Saturday that it downed a drone south of the country without saying where it came from, according to the Syrian official news agency SANA, in the second incident of its kind in two days.
“The competent authorities in Qunaitera governorate, and after monitoring and follow-up operations, were able to control a drone coming from the west and heading east over the town of Erneh in al-Sheikh mountain… and they downed it,” SANA quoted a field source as saying.
The source said that after dismantling the drone, “it turned out to be loaded with cluster bombs and had a highly explosive C4 booby-trap.”
The source did not directly accuse Israel or any other party. However, SANA mentioned that Syrian air defense systems engaged “Israeli and US aggressions that used planes and missiles” in recent years.
Demonstration Against Iran
20 September 2019
A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was killed on Friday by Syrian government and Iranian gunshots and dozens of demonstrators calling for the ousting of Iranians from al-Salhieh town in the northern countryside of Deir al-Zor were also injured.
“A member of al-Asayesh – the local police force affiliated with SDF – was killed by gunshots from Syrian government and Iranian forces who fired at demonstrators that approached the checkpoint in al-Salhieh,” a source in the civil council of Deir al-Zor told a Germany news agency.
“Members of al-Asayesh, who are from the Arab component in the area, advanced to protect the demonstrators who were being shot by government and Iranian forces, after their withdrawal from al-Salhieh checkpoint and deployment at the outskirts of the town,” the source said.
Demonstrators also set out from the towns of al-Hosainah and al-Ma’mel, north of Deir al-Zor city, and headed towards al-Salhieh, which is controlled by government forces. The demonstrators demanded their restoration to their homes and the ousting of Iranian elements.
The source said that the area has been witnessing severe tensions and that al-Asayesh and SDF have called for military reinforcements. The demonstrators might storm the town with support from SDF elements, the source added.
Children Born During War
20 September 2019
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday that more than twenty-nine million children were born in areas of conflict during 2018.
The UN organization went on to say that at least one in five infants in the world started out their lives in a severely dangerous and tense atmosphere, including countries like Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
“Millions of families lack access to nutritious food, safe water, sanitation, or a secure and healthy environment to grow and bond. Along with the immediate, obvious dangers, the long-term impacts of such a start in life are potentially catastrophic,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.
Prolonged or repeated adverse and traumatic events could affect children’s learning, behavior, and physical and mental health.
Veto 13
19 September 2019
Russia and China used their veto power on Thursday to block a resolution in the UN Security Council drafted by Germany, Kuwait, and Belgium and approved by twelve countries that calls for imposing “an immediate ceasefire” in the governorate of Idlib, northwest of Syria, reflecting once again the deep divisions in the Security Council on this issue.
This is the thirteenth veto cast by Russia to block resolutions in regards to Syria since the war began in the country in 2011.
Equatorial Guinea abstained and the remaining 12 members of the council voted in favor.
The three countries that sponsored the draft officially asked Russia not to use its veto power against the text that was negotiated for fifteen days, however, their demand was met with refusal.
After the veto, Russia and China presented a competing draft resolution that also stipulates for a ceasefire.
But in contrast to the first drat, the Russian-Chinese draft states that “the cessation of hostilities does not apply to military operations against individuals, groups, or entities related to terrorist groups.”
Iranian Domination
17 September 2019
The fifth cycle of the Exhibition for the Reconstruction of Syria kicked off on Tuesday in the Syrian capital Damascus with the participation of hundreds of Arab and foreign countries and amid prominent Iranian presence.
“The exhibition presents an important opportunity to see what companies have to offer and for mutual benefit between showcased technologies in various sections… the exhibition is a message to the whole world that Syria has returned to its previous state, and that has been proven by the vast participation of foreign companies in the exhibition,” Syrian Deputy Housing Minister Mohammed Said al-Deen said in a statement to reporters.
The Iranian wing is the largest of foreign wings in the exhibition, with a large number of public and private Iranian companies looking for a prominent role in the reconstruction of Syria.
The Iranian ambassador in Syria Javad Tark Abadi said in a press conference that “Iranian participation is based on consolidation with Syria and a strong stance against the economic sanctions that have been imposed against it for years, nevertheless, Syria has survived in face of this embargo.”
Tamer Yaghi, the CEO of al-Bashiq company which organized the exhibition, said in a press release to reporters, “the number of participating companies in this year’s exhibition is three hundred and ninety companies from thirty-one Arab and foreign countries, with an increase of one hundred and twenty companies compared to last year.”
153,000 Left Jordan
17 September 2019
The Jordanian interior ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that around one hundred and fifty-three thousand Syrians left the kingdom and returned to Syria after the border crossing between the two countries was reopened about one year ago.
The Directorate of Syrian Refugee Affairs in the ministry said that the “number of Syrians who left the kingdom through Jaber border center since it was opened in 15 October and up to yesterday (Monday) has reached around one hundred and fifty-three thousand people, including thirty-three thousand people who hold the refugee status.”
The ministry emphasized “Jordan’s commitment to the principle of voluntary return of Syrian refugees and facilitating necessary procedures for them to leave the kingdom.”
Jordan hosts around six hundred and fifty thousand Syrian refugees registered with the United Nations, whereas Jordan estimates the number of people who took refuge in the country since the onset of the conflict in Syria in 2011 at 1.3 million Syrians.
Jaber border crossing (Nassib from the Syrian side), which is the only major border crossing between Jordan and Syria, opened after three years of its closure due to the conflict in Syria.
Nassib border crossing was closed in 2015, a few months after the closure of the old al-Jomrok border corssing, which was taken over by opposition fighters in October of 2014.
The Syrian army was able to retake control of Nassib border crossing and all of the Syrian-Jordanian border in July of 2018.
Israeli Airstrike
17 September 2019
Ten Iraqi fighters loyal to Iran were killed on Monday night as a result of airstrikes by unidentified military planes in al-Bou Kamal area, near the border with Iraq in eastern Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
The chief of the SOHR Rami Abdul Rahman told the AFP that the “airstrikes targeted three positions for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and allied groups” in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zor, without being able to identify the party that carried out the airstrikes.
Iranian and Iraqi forces, that support Syrian government forces, are deployed in a wide area in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zor, especially between the border cities of al-Bou Kamal and al-Mayadeen.
These strikes come after ten days of similar airstrikes by unidentified planes that killed eighteen fighters, including Iranians, in the same area.
