Syrian graduate of Turkish university dedicates himself to reconstruction of Tel Abyad

By Esref Musa

TEL ABYAD, Syria (AA) - A Syrian man who received his university education in Turkiye, began to serve his compatriots in northern Syria.

Imran Casem and his family had to leave their hometown in Tel Abyad province near Turkiye’s border after the Daesh/ISIS terror group’s occupation in 2013.

While his family took refuge in southeastern Gaziantep province and returned to Tel Abyad four months later, Casem stayed in Turkiye to realize his dream of becoming an engineer.

Casem successfully passed exams in Turkiye and was entitled to study in the civil engineering department at Uludag University in the northwestern province of Bursa.

After graduating last year, he returned to Tel Abyad, which Turkey liberated in October 2019 with Operation Peace Spring, and began to work as a civil engineer in the local council.

"I wanted to relieve my family of the financial burden," he told Anadolu Agency, and he worked hard to complete his degree in the shortest time.

He also recalled the YPG/PKK terror group’s presence in Tel Abyad.

"In 2015, YPG/PKK terrorist organization occupied Tel Abyad. YPG/PKK is a terrorist organization like Daesh/ISIS. YPG/PKK and Daesh were forcibly recruiting young people. That's why I couldn't go back," he said.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and to enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

He said Turkiye’s Peace Spring Operation that was launched to liberate the province in 2019, coincided with his mid-term exams. "The joy of Peace Spring Operation made me forget the mid-term exams stress. After the operation, a new hope, a new candlelight was lit for me."

Having realized his dream, Casim said he returned home to contribute to the development and re-construction of Tel Abyad.

"I got a job at the Tel Abyad local council. We are the children of Tel Abyad. If we don't come back here, no one will. We need to reconstruct this place," he said.

Thanking Turkiye for providing education opportunities to him and thousands of Syrian students, Casim went on to say; "I studied, lived and continued my education life in Turkiye. I have many Turkish friends. Turkiye is my second homeland."