DEIR EZ-ZOR - In Deir ez-Zor (Dêrazor), which serves as a bridge between cities in Syria and is a key location for both trade and logistics, the area controlled by HTS still bears the deep scars of war, while a new future is being built on the side of the Autonomous Administration. 

 

As the shutters were just beginning to open in Damascus, we set our sights on Qamishlo. Leaving the city bearing all the scars of war, we found ourselves in a scene reminiscent of those often seen in cowboy films. A straight road stretched between a desert-like valley. Occasionally, yellow single-storey houses appeared on both sides of the road. 

 

As we moved away from Damascus, it was possible to see the aftermath of the clashes between DAESH and other groups and the regime. At almost every turn, we came across overturned or burnt-out vehicles and witnessed destroyed buildings. 

 

On our journey with other directors from Turkey, we observed our surroundings, wondering what had happened. The only person who could answer our questions, our Arab taxi driver, had one eye on the road and the other on his phone.

 

THE ROAD TO DEIR-EZ-ZOR

 

The driver watched random videos on social media wherever he could get internet connection along the way. Fortunately, after a while, he realised we had a problem and started communicating with hand gestures. However, the driver knew neither Turkish nor Kurdish, and we knew no Arabic. The English we knew was only enough to ask how each other was doing. Fortunately, we managed to communicate with each other using a translation app on our phones. 

 

DOZENS OF CHECKPOINTS 

 

The road to Deir ez-Zor, 450 kilometres away, was quiet. Apart from oncoming cars and 1960-70 model lorries loaded with cargo, there was not a soul in sight. We only encountered the new regime's roadblocks. At some points, there were 1-2 HTS (Hayat Tahrir El-Sham) members on duty, at others 4-5. They would come out of makeshift huts and ask the driver in Arabic where we were coming from and where we were going. Each time, the driver would tell them he was just touring the area. Sometimes they checked the luggage and looked at our passports. After hesitantly passing through dozens of checkpoints, we felt we were approaching a new settlement.

 

THE CENTRE OF THE FIGHTING: DEIR EZ-ZOR

 

 

The place we were approaching was Deir ez-Zor, which DAESH had used as its headquarters for a time. As we approached the city centre, the traces of heavy fighting became more and more apparent. On both sides of the road, buildings destroyed by air strikes and heavy fighting, a few pieces of belongings that people, who may never return to their homes, had to leave behind... 

 

Deir ez-Zor is located in the east of the country and is an important city on the banks of the Euphrates River. It is one of the provinces with the largest land area in the country. One of Mesopotamia's oldest settlements, it is known for its rich oil and natural gas resources. Its location around the Euphrates River makes it suitable for agriculture. Before the civil war, the region's economy was largely based on energy and agriculture.

 

However, after DAESH, it became the centre of conflict for many years. Control shifted between ISIS and the regime at different times. Not a single structure remained intact or undamaged. Infrastructure, public services, water, electricity... everything imaginable became unusable due to the fighting. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a major operation against DAESH in mid-2017 and drove ISIS out of the city centre. The city is now divided into two parts. The west of the Euphrates River is under the control of HTS, while the east is under the control of SDF. 

 

ARMOURED VEHICLE GRAVEYARD

 

 

The area under HTS control still bears the scars of war, even years later. Only the skeletons of some buildings remain, windows shattered, roads pitted with craters. Electricity poles are toppled, some streets are still buried under rubble, and all the signs are either faded or illegible. 

 

Breathing is difficult due to the dust coming from the desert and the debris. However, people have become accustomed to this situation. The people who did not leave the city during the fighting or who returned are meeting their daily needs among the ruins. There are more motorcycles than cars. 

 

After passing the main checkpoint, we encounter a vehicle graveyard on one side of the road; hundreds of tanks, howitzers, and armoured military vehicles piled on top of each other. Immediately ahead, we enter the neighbourhood where the fighting was most intense. While construction machinery clears debris in the side streets, it is impossible to find a single intact building. 

 

Armed HTS members are on guard everywhere, checking those passing through the streets and avenues. The driver, accustomed to the scene, warns us not to take pictures with our computers or phones.

 

After a 20-minute journey, we finally reach the Euphrates River. As we slowly move forward in a long queue of vehicles and motorcycles, we see the bridge that connects the city, which was blown up during the DAESH period. As the bridge is unusable, a temporary bridge has been constructed using concrete sewage pipes or water pipes stacked on top of each other.

 

SDF AND HTS BORDER: EUPHRATES

 

 

On one side were armed HTS members, on the other side were SDS members waiting with their fingers on the trigger. Following the talks that began between the Autonomous Administration and Damascus, tensions here have also eased. There has been no conflict in recent times. 

 

While local residents crossed freely, our anxiety grew. The driver gestured for us to unbuckle our seat belts and act like local residents. After a brief conversation between the driver and the HTS members, we crossed the "bridge," which was in danger of collapsing at any moment, and entered the area controlled by the SDF. 

 

LIFE GOES ON AS USUAL

 

 

In the area with fewer structures compared to the region under HTS control, the first noticeable aspect was that control was more stringent. Vehicles were being inspected one by one, and identity checks were being carried out. After passing through the checkpoint, it was as if one had entered a different geography; either there had been very little fighting, or the traces of war had been cleared away. Apart from a few structures damaged by fighting, every building was intact. Daily life continued as usual; the roads were cleaner, there was busy activity in the lush green agricultural fields surrounding the single-storey yellow houses, and people were grazing their animals.

 

 

The majority of the SDF members on duty at the checkpoints and security points were Arabs, selected from among the local residents. Self-governance began with security and public order. Communication with people is also in Arabic. We could only pick up one word from the dialogue between the security members and the driver: the word "heval", which means "friend/comrade" in Turkish. 

 

While the HTS members are all men, we also began to encounter female security and public order members at the SDF points. There was a checkpoint on almost every road leading to a village, and we were subjected to a similar procedure at each point. Our next stop would be Qamishlo. 

 

Tomorrow: Journey to North and East Syria

 

MA / Azad Altay