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Syria’s Kurds embrace resilience, beauty in wake of Turkish attack

Turkey's invasion of northeastern Syria has changed the lives of Kurdish residents in myriad ways, from a bump in confidence-boosting cosmetic surgery to pervasive anxiety over whether Turkey will strike again.
Kurdish and Arab protesters flash the victory sign and chants slogans against Turkish President Tayip Erdogan during a protest in front of the United Nations Headquarters in the town of Qamishli, Syria October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed - RC1B8D106F20

QAMISHLI, Syria — In a small dark room in northeast Syria, women of all ages scan one another with a critical eye. Several have gauze bandages over their noses, others strips of plaster over their eyelids. They are waiting for Edip Mahmoud Ali, Qamishli’s most celebrated cosmetic surgeon, who is so overwhelmed by demand he no longer answers his telephone.

Fatima Mohammed Zain, the wife of a local policeman, has had her cheekbones chiseled and lips puffed into a permanent pout. “Here in Qamishli, rich or poor, people don’t care," she said. "If they want something they go for it.”

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