Those living in parts of northern Syria such as the de facto autonomous region of Rojava had been hopeful of a brighter future until Turkey launched its Operation Peace Spring offensive in October. Rojava has been home to a pioneering democratic project since 2012 which has seen women and minorities including Christians given a central say in decisions. But Ankara’s invasion which sparked an exodus of civilians has seriously threatened the existence of the revolutionary vision.
Claire Evans, International Christian Concern’s regional manager for the Middle East, said Christians who have fled the area fear they no longer have a future in their historical homeland.
Ms Evans told Express.co.uk: “If Turkey gets its way I cannot see much of a future for Christians in that area.
“The big concern right now with the Christian community is do we go back and rebuild?”
Turkey began its long anticipated exercise to clear northern Syria of the Kurdish People’s Protection Unit (YPG) which it deems a terror organisation linked to the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK).
The move followed President Trump’s controversial decision to pull US troops out of the northeastern Syria where they had been supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
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But Ms Evans said their backing of the president is likely to have been as a result of nothing more than fear, which is “something that they will never probably say”.
She said: “He’s a bad option but ISIS is worse, that is fair to say it’s a fear for Christians.
“The Syrian government is ruled by a religious minority itself and has historic links with other religious minority groups and they have supported each other.
“For the Syrian government it’s been a good year for them in many ways.
“I don’t see many reasons to say that will change, they’re getting a lot of support from Russia.”
According to Open Doors USA, Syria is the 11th most difficult country to survive in as a Christian.
Turkey said the aim of its offensive was to establish a safe zone to resettle refugees.
But critics say it was President Erdogan’s desire to crush Kurdish ambitions of self-determination that led him to make the move.