Displaced Kurds Protest for Return to Ras al-Ayn in Syria

HASEKE, Syria — Kurdish families displaced from Ras al-Ayn gathered in front of the governorate building on Sunday evening to demand the right to return to their hometowns. The protesters, many of whom have lived in tent cities for several years, called for their return to be prioritized as a human right. Demonstrators carried signs stating that every child has the right to live in their own home and that the right of return should not be ignored. The protests follow the 2019 military operations by Turkey and allied Syrian groups, which displaced more than 100,000 people from the Ras al-Ayn and Tell Abyad regions, with approximately 12,000 seeking refuge in the Kurdistan Region. Haseke Governor Nureddin Ahmed met with the protesters to hear their demands. Ahmed stated that the government is working to clear landmines and establish a secure environment, asserting that the return process will be conducted in a safe and organized manner.