By Sarab Younes
BEIRUT, Lebanon
A number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon have declared their support for the Turkish proposal to establish a “safe zone” in northern Syria, saying they are willing to return and live in such a safe zone.
The Syrian refugees, who have suffered the bitterness of refuge for four years, cling to the hope of returning to their country instead of being foreigners in host countries.
They hope for a political solution in their country that imposes a no-fly zone to stop regime aircraft bombing cities and villages.
Abu Bilal, from the northern Idlib province, took refuge with his family in Lebanon four years ago.
He expressed his support for the establishment of a safe zone in northern Syria and hoped for a solution for the crisis across all of Syria.
Abu Bilal thanked the Turkish government for seeking to help the Syrian people since the beginning of the civil war and for trying to find a solution to the crisis.
“Unfortunately, we did not find Islamic or Arab countries in the region supporting Turkey,” he said. “I encourage the establishment of a safe zone in northern Syria, and strongly support it. For four years, I have been a refugee in Lebanon and I would like to go back to my country. I want to see my family and relatives.”
Abu Badwa Abbas is a refugee from Homs province.
“Turkey has the right to protect its borders and defend itself, especially because it stands strongly beside the Syrian people," he said.
Abu Abbas hoped that “the Syrian people do not turn into refugees again within the safe zone.”
He also urged a political solution to the country’s crisis and called for the international community to ban all warplanes in Syrian airspace.
“Yes, I would go back directly to my country if a safe zone is created,” Um Zainab, another refugee, said as she broke down in tears. “There, I would stay in my country no matter what happens. Here, we are foreigners and have no stability.”
The number of Syrian refugees officially registered by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Lebanon is 1.2 million people, in addition to about 400,000 unregistered refugees.
This means they now comprise around a third of the population of Lebanon, which is about four million.
Since 2011, the Syrian opposition have called for the end of more than 44 years of Assad family rule and the establishment of a democratic state.
The Syrian regime cracked down heavily on protesters, which dragged Syria into violence and bloody battles between the regime and armed opposition forces.
The fighting continues to this day. It has left more than 220,000 people dead and displaced around 10 million Syrians from their homes, both internally and abroad, according to the UN.
