Civil council to take power in freed Tal Abyad: Syria

TAL ABYAD-Anadolu Agency

Commanders of the Syrian National Army (SNA) agreed with tribal representatives in the town of Tal Abyad in northern Syria to form a temporary civilian council to administrate the Syrian town.       

Adjacent to the Turkish border, the district center of Tal Abyad, was cleared of YPG/PKK terrorists on Sunday as part of Turkey's Operation Peace Spring which aims to eliminate the PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the PYD/YPG, east of the Euphrates River in Syria.       

The operation was launched on Oct. 9 in order to secure Turkey's borders, aid the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.     

Representatives in the meeting late on Thursday discussed the formation of a temporary local council composed of members representing all residents of Tal Abyad, which had been occupied by the YPG/PKK for more than four years.       

The SNA, meanwhile, remains in control of the town until the local council is formed.       

SNA commander Yusuf Abbud, told Anadolu Agency that they have been working on bringing all services back to the town.       

"We had the bakeries working on the second day after taking the town. Hospitals continued their services where they left off. Now, we are preparing to establish a local council," he said.       

"We promise our people that everything will be better," he added.     

Life back to normal in Tal Abyad       

Daily life is quickly normalizing in Tal Abyad.       

Images from the town show open shops from bakeries and grocers to restaurants and clothing and shoe stores with women and children on the many busy streets.       

Civilians continued to return to the town from nearby, relatively safe areas they sought due to recent clashes with YPG/PKK terrorists.       

One of the returning citizens spoke to Anadolu Agency, expressing his joy that the town was freed from YPG/PKK terrorists.       

"They showed us hell. They were not allowing passage for our vehicles and we had to pay 200 Syrian liras for passage," the civilian said.       

"Their racism was above the limit," he said adding: "We [Arabs] do not want [to impose] racism against Kurds."