Northern Syria -

The activity of Turkish organizations has increased recently in constructing brick houses in the Syrian opposition-controlled areas in northwestern Syria, after the Turkish government announced a plan aimed at the voluntary return of about one million Syrian refugees in Turkey to their country.

The organizations are working to create these houses near the border strip between Syria and Turkey. Most of these houses and residential and service gatherings are concentrated in Idlib governorate, where more than 4 million Syrians live, the majority of whom are displaced people from various Syrian regions.

Delivery to Syrian families will take place according to the number of children (Al-Jazeera)

How many brick houses are there?

Finally, Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu announced the completion of the construction of more than 62,000 brick houses in Idlib for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees in Turkey, adding that the next goal is to build 100,603 houses by the end of this year.

According to the Turkish minister, the areas of the houses range between 60, 80 and 100 square meters, noting that the delivery to families will take place according to the number of children.

And last June, the Turkish Red Crescent handed over 901 brick houses to families from the Idlib governorate in northwestern Syria, in the presence of the assistant governor of Hatay, Oguzhan Bingol.

The number of homes handed over by Turkish organizations has so far reached about 60,000 homes, distributed over 259 points in northwestern Syria, according to official Turkish statements.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country’s government intends to build 240,000 homes in cooperation with international organizations in the cities of Jarabulus, Al-Bab and Azaz in the countryside of Aleppo, in addition to the city of Tal Abyad in the northern countryside of Raqqa, and the city of Ras al-Ain in the countryside of Hasaka.

Erdogan indicated that these projects will include health facilities such as hospitals and medical centers, in addition to education centers.

Turkey aspires to encourage the voluntary return of about one million Syrian refugees after establishing many brick houses and vital facilities in northern Syria (Al-Jazeera)

Watch with caution

A number of Syrian refugees in Turkey view brick house projects with caution, and most of them believe that they will not meet their aspirations to return to their original homes and cities. On the other hand, very few of them believe that it is better than living in exile and its high costs.

The Syrian refugee, Izzat Hamdi, confirmed that he would rather stay in Turkey than return to the brick houses in Idlib, northern Syria, saying that he was displaced 5 years ago from the Damascus countryside to northern Syria, then entered Turkey and established a private business from which he obtains a reasonable income.

Hamdi indicated, in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, that the return should be to his city in the countryside of Damascus, if the Syrian regime leaves, and not to housing near the borders and far from his home.

In turn, the Syrian refugee coming from the city of Aleppo, Abdul Qader, considered that the Syrians in Turkey do not prefer to return to temporary housing, pointing out that returning to Syria is no longer in his list of accounts after a 10-year expatriation.

The refugee Abdul Qader said that the housing should be for the displaced in the camps instead of sending the refugees there, believing that they have the right to live in a house with walls and a roof.

On the other hand, refugee Obeida Al-Mohammed, who comes from the countryside of Idlib, finds that housing guarantees him a return to his homeland, Syria, after he has narrowed his means of living in Turkey, and his monthly salary is barely enough to rent the house and water and electricity bills.

Al-Mohammed saw that his stay in Turkey had become impossible, expressing his belief that his return to Syria might open a new door for him to work in his construction profession, and secure a better income for lower expenses.