Turkish bulldozers resume dredging Syrian farmers’ fields

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Turkish bulldozers resume Sunday dredging agricultural fields of Syrian farmers at the village of Aqrabat near Bab al-Hawa crossing point, although farmers are meeting the Wali of Hatay State Monday, to provide him with the real estate map to show the ownership of lands those are being dredged. 

People reacted by gathering and standing in front of bulldozers to prevent them from advancing in their lands, however the Turkish border guards threatened them of shooting if they were not left the area, according to one of the demonstrators. 

The head of local council in the village, Abdullah al-Sheikh expressed to Zaman al-Wasl his surprise for resuming dredging fields despite the upcoming meeting with Hatay’s Wali the very next day to discuss the matter. 

Mohamed Abo Ahmed a resident of the village denied news broadcasted by some media means about the intention of Turkish government to open a military route through the land belong to Syrian farmers in the village of Aqrabat as a substitute for the route of Atmeh, because the mountainous nature of the village added to surrounding several hills make opening a crossing point from the village side quite difficult. 

Many residents of Aqrabat explained to Zaman al-Wasl that what is happening these day is part of the Turkish plans for demarcation of the borders between the two countries and controlling 500 square kilometre of the Syrian land. 

The Turkish Army had last Thursday out of blue opened a route through the Syrian fields in the village of Aqrabat from the side of Bab al-Hawa exceeding 400 metre inside the Syrian land, passing through the forbidden land of Manzalat Abdul-Hai, but they were forced to stop due to farmers’ reaction who prevented bulldozers from advancing.