SANLIURFA, Turkey
The pro-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Union Party is being accused of “executing their plan” to change northern Syria’s demography by singling out the country’s Turkmen minority, a Syrian Turkmen politician has claimed.
The Syrian-Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG), the PYD's military wing, has been accused in the past of attempting to change the region’s demographic make-up. Turkey has designated PYD as a terror organization.
Now, Abdurrahman Mustafa, head of the Turkmen assembly in the war-torn country, says that the PYD allegedly forced members of his community to leave Hamam village near the Syrian border city of Tal Abyad.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Friday he said: "Around 12,000 Turkmen had to evacuate their village after PYD forces threatened them and now nearly 1,000 others have been forced to leave," Mustafa said.
Claiming that the PYD wanted to change the demographic nature of northern Syria, Mustafa said: "They are executing their plan systematically."
Mustafa claimed that over 200 Turkmen had taken refuge in Turkey and more than 800 others moved east of Tal Abyad earlier this week due to PYD pressure.
"Those 800 Turkmen tried to get back to Hamam after two days, but instead the PYD threatened to bomb their village," he said.
"However, Turkmen do not want to leave the place they live and we won't give up until the last moment," Mustafa added.
In addition, at least 5,000 Turkmens have been forced to migrate from Tal Abyad by armed Kurdish groups over the last two days, a former city councilor has claimed.
Ekrem Dada told Anadolu Agency on Saturday that at least 5,000 Turkmens have fled Tal Abyad.
The Turkmens were gathered in a school before armed Kurdish groups warned them to leave for purported security reasons.
Separately, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces released a statement Saturday criticizing Kurdish forces for the Tal Abyad deportation policy.
In the past few weeks, Turkey has been witnessing another massive inflow of Syrian refugees from Tal Abyad and nearby areas as they flee clashes between Daesh and YPG fighters.
The Syrian border city was captured on June 15 by the YPG with the help of U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in northeastern Syria to push back Daesh forces.
A total of 23,349 refugees -- mainly Arabs and Turkmen -- fleeing clashes in Tal Abyad have entered Turkey’s Sanliurfa province through the Akcakale border crossing since June 3, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said.
