Bayirbujak
Bayirbujak (Turkish: Bayırbucak), also known as West Turkmeneli (Batı Türkmeneli) a region in northwestern Syria. The region is viewed as the Syrian Turkmen homeland.[1][2] Bayırbucak includes the main settlements of Kessab, Ras al-Bassit, Umm al-Tuyour, Burj al-Islam, Ghimam, as well as the Turkmen Mountain region. Bayırbucak borders Hatay Province to the north, Jabal al-Akrad to the east, Latakia city to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea in the west.[3][4]
Etymology
[edit]Bayırbucak is a Turkish exonym, and not the official name for the region, which is Al-Rabiaa subdistrict. The word Bayırbucak comes from two different words in Turkish: bayır (en: hillside) and bucak (en: district). According to Ottoman archival documents, Bayir was the official name of the district (nahiye) in the Ottoman period.[5] It is sometimes referred to as West Turkmeneli to distinguish from the Iraqi Turkmen homeland, known as East Turkmeneli.[6]
Notable events
[edit]On 24 November 2015, two Turkish F-16s shot down one of two Russian Su-24 fighter jets, which violated Turkish airspace while in an operation to attack a Turkmen rebel militia in Bayırbucak. One Russian pilot was killed by Turkmen forces under the command of Alparslan Çelik.[7][8][9]
Heavy Russian aerial bombardments during the 2015–16 Latakia offensive resulted in a very difficult situation in the Bayırbucak Turkmen regions, causing almost all Syrian Turkmens to flee the region to Turkey. The Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad began a policy of settling Alawites into the houses of Turkmen civilians who had fled the region.[10]
In early July 2025, wildfires swept through the Bayırbucak region, including Qastal Ma'af and al-Furnloq Reserve, destroying over 14,000 hectares of forest and farmland.[11] Villages were evacuated as the fires, driven by extreme heat, drought, and strong winds, spread rapidly through the rugged terrain. Efforts to contain them were hindered by unexploded ordnance and limited resources.[12] Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon provided firefighting support, while the UN allocated $625,000 in emergency aid.[13][14] By 15 July, the fire had been contained.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "Türkmen Dağı'nda Bayırbucak'ta neler oluyor". En Son Haber (in Turkish). 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ^ "The Turkmens of Bayırbucak". Hürriyet Daily News. 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ^ "جبل التركمان.. الأهمية الإستراتيجية والرهانات الإقليمية". aljazeera (in Arabic). 25 November 2015.
- ^ "Bayır-Bucak Türkmenleri Kimdir?". Sabah (in Turkish). Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ Winter, Stefan (2016). A History of the 'Alawis: From Medieval Syria to the Turkish Republic. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691173894.pp. 131, 145
- ^ "DOĞU TÜRKMENELİ'DE BATI TÜRKMENELİ'YE ZİYARET". Archived from the original on 9 December 2023.
- ^ "Türkmendağı". Kalemiyet (in Turkish). 2015-12-11. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ^ Karadeniz, Tülay & Maria Kiselyova (2015-11-25). "Turkey downs Russian warplane near Syria border, Putin warns of 'serious consequences'". Reuters. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ^ "Turkey shoots down Russian jet for airspace violation near Syrian border". Hürriyet Daily News. 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ^ "Russia, Assad regime continue to pound Turkmen Mountain area". aa.com.tr. 15 January 2016.
- ^ "Latakia Firestorm: Syria Battles Blazes With Regional and International Support". levant24.com. 9 July 2025.
- ^ "Syrian wildfires spread due to heavy winds and war remnants". AP News. 8 July 2025.
- ^ Blackburn, Gavin (8 July 2025). "Syria issues appeal to EU for help battling massive wildfires along northwestern coast". Euronews.
- ^ "The UN allocates $ 625 thousand to support urgent response efforts for people affected by the forest fires". SANA. 10 July 2025.
- ^ "Emergency Minister announces the end of fire suppression operations in Latakia". SANA. 15 July 2025.
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