Filiz Zeyrek

 

ADANA - “While we are waiting for the end of atrocity of ISIS, Turkey forces the people of Afrin to displace. No one should leave their lands,” said the women of Kobanê, who had to leave their lands due to the invasion attempt of Daesh and immigrate to Adana province of Turkey.

 

As thousands of women migrated in 1990s due to the war policies in Turkey maintain their lives by working in the others’ fields for nothing, Syrian refugees come to Çukurova nowadays. The women begin to work in the early hours of morning until evening every day.

 

‘They stand over us like we are slaves’

 

Kadriye Ahmed is a woman of Kobanê and she works in citrus gardens located in Kara Ahmetli region of Adana’s Yüreğir district and she immigrated to Turkey five years ago with her family to flee from Daesh. Kadriye wakes up at 5 a.m. every day to work in the garden. “We work for others until evenings. The person in charge stand over us and he says, “Don’t stop, keep working” like we are slaves. We have to cook, clean the house and take care of the children and we don’t have time to rest. Despite our labor, we are paid 54 TL per day.”

 

‘Don’t let them to face what we faced’

 

All Kadriye wants is to return to her homeland and she said, “They want to do the same thing in Afrin now. They force the people to displacement. The reason for killing of the children is that. They forced us to displace us and as you see they exploit our labor. Don’t let the people of Afrin face what we faced. We wish we never came here.”

 

Children also have to work

 

12-year-old Diyar is also working in the garden. “I should have been in school now,” said Diyar and she just wants to return Kobanê as soon as possible. “The wars take us away all our dreams and life. Stop these wars. I hate waking up early in the morning but I have to do this.”

 

‘We work 12 hours per day’

 

Selime Aslan’s village was burned in 1990s and she has worked in the agriculture for 25 years. Selime said, “Our homeland was so beautiful. We worked in our gardens. We didn’t have financial difficulties. Living here is really so difficult, we work 12 hours per day and we cannot earn a living. And we don’t have a health insurance.”

 

‘We weren’t allowed to live in Kobanê’

 

Fatma Saleh is another woman of Kobanê. She said, “We were thinking of returning to our homes but now they are attacking Afrin. They want to attack all Rojava. Afrin is very important place for us. We are like slaves here. We can earn just to cover the rent, water, electricity expenses. We cannot do anything except this. We work for hours. Life is really hard. Don’t let the people of Afrin face what we are facing.”