World Bulletin / News Desk

The Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD) is allegedly executing a systematic plan to change the demography of northern Syria by singling out the Turkmen community in particular, a Syrian Turkmen politician has claimed.

The Syrian-Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG), the PYD's military wing, has also been accused in the past of attempting to change the demography of the region.

Abdurrahman Mustafa, head of the Turkmen assembly in the war-torn country, told that PYD allegedly forced his community members to leave the Hamam village in the Syrian border city of Tal Abyad.

"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 recalled that over 200 Turkmen had taken refuge in Turkey and more than 800 others moved to the east of Tal Abyad earlier this week due to the alleged PYD oppression.

"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 till the last moment," Mustafa added. 

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, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said at a weekly press briefing Thursday.