URFA - Stating that the attacks on Kobané increased after the anniversary of the liberation of Kobané, SDF press officer Ferhad Şamî told that they aim to ensure peace in the region.

 

The attacks of Turkey and the gangs backed by Turkey against Northern and Eastern Syria continue. In 20 days, 13 civilians, including children and women, lost their lives, and many were injured in drone and ground attacks towards the region. As a result of the bombing of the villages of Elîşar, Til Hacib, Qeremox, Xanî, Serzûrî and Gultepe in Kobanê on January 8, one person was killed and 12 people were injured. It is noteworthy to say that the attacks on Kobanê increased on the 7th anniversary of Kobanê's liberation from ISIS.

 

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Press Officer Ferhad Şamî evaluated the attacks against the region during the year 2021, the purpose of the attacks against Kobanê, Til Temir and Zirgan, and the silence of the guarantor states in the region to the Mesopotamia Agency (MA).

 

ATTACKS OF ISIS AND TURKEY

 

Stating that the year 2021 passed with attacks and resistance against attacks in Northern and Eastern Syria, Şami said that it was an important year for their struggle. Emphasizing that the attacks on all sides were stopped by the resistance of the peoples together, Şami said, “It has been a year in which hundreds of operations were carried out against ISIS. Northern and Eastern Syria has an important position for the whole world. If the Autonomous Administration does not fight against ISIS and other gangs, everyone will lose. Everyone is focused on the region and respect the struggle of the peoples. Besides ISIS, another force that attacked the region was Turkey. It is not a coincidence that Turkey has increased its attacks in parallel with the ISIS attacks in the region. Throughout 2021, there were attacks in many places, especially in Kobanê. It continued all year. The peoples of the region stepped up their struggle under the leadership of SDF for a lasting peace against the attacks of ISIS and Turkey. Looking at the balance sheet we have published for 2021, it will be seen that there has been a magnificent resistance.”

 

THEY AIM TO INTIMIDATE THE PEOPLE

 

Stating that the attacks against Til Temir, Zirgan and Kobanê, which started in December 2021, continue, Şamî said: “There are attacks in many regions with different methods. They are trying to recruit local people as spies. These attacks have many purposes. Most of the attacks are directed against the civilian population, not the armed forces. The prominent people of this region were targeted. The purpose of the attacks is to intimidate the public. They want to prevent the people from supporting the Autonomous Administration. The attacks in Til Temir and Zirgan are not ordinary attacks. Assyrians, Armenians and Christians live there. ISIS massacred the Armenians and Yazidis. Currently, they want to force the people living in the region to migrate with their attacks. They want peoples to leave their lands and migrate. When the Autonomous Administration liberated these areas from occupation, many returned to their homes. They want to drive them out of their homes again."

 

PEOPLE WILL NOT BOW THEIR HEADS

 

Stating that 13 civilians have lost their lives in air strikes in Northern and Eastern Syria since November 20, 2021, Shami added that dozens of people were injured in the attacks. Noting that the attacks against the region have increased in the last 20 days, Şamî said, “Young people from TEVDEM were targeted in Kobanê. 5 young people died. The basis of the Autonomous Administration is based on the revolutionary youth. They attack young people because they know this. They are not only afraid of the SDF, they are afraid of young people and women. They target anyone who is organized, whether they are children, women or young people, whether they have a gun or not. Because organized people never bow down."

 

'THE LIBERATION OF KOBANÊ HAS BECOME THEIR NIGHTMARE'

 

Stating that the attacks launched by ISIS against Kobanê in 2014 were repelled on January 27, 2015, Şami noted that it is not a coincidence that the attacks have increased on the 7th anniversary of the liberation of Kobanê. Reminding that ISIS was defeated by the resistance of Kurdish and international youth, Şamî said, “Turkey did its best to help Kobané fall. Kobanê was an important obstacle to the realization of their projects. ISIS failed 7 years ago, Turkey is now trying to achieve what ISIS had failed to do. The defeat of ISIS was a nightmare especially for Tayyip Erdoğan. They wanted Kobanê to fall and to be ruled by ISIS. All the gangs that attacked the region were defeated one by one. Desperately, Turkey directly attacked the region with its own forces and wanted to occupy it."

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE

 

Stating that the attacks against Kobanê will not succeed, Şami said: “Militarily, politically and economically, all peoples in the region see their future with the Autonomous Administration. The resistance of the people of Kobanê was the cry of the peoples that did not surrender to darkness. Without Kobanê resistance, ISIS would have spread over a wide area now. After the declaration of the Autonomous Administration, psychological warfare was started. They did their best to keep the peoples of the region away from the Autonomous Administration. At first, they aimed to make the people dependent on them economically. However, they could not succeed. Recently a lot of fake news has been shared through the press in which they announce they killed 'so many terrorists'. We are fighting against occupation and we announce everything we do fighting against occupation. What they have been spreading as news is a lie. They aim to intimidate and scare the people and to provoke fascists with nationalist feelings. They are trying to cover up the fact that they are the aggressors by accusing SDF of attacking them."

 

GUARANOTS ARE QUIET

 

Pointing out that many groups in Northern and Eastern Syria, including the "occupying" forces in the region, presented themselves as guarantors, Şami continued his words as follows: "When we look at these forces, Russia, Iran, Turkey and the international coalition come to the fore. Invading Turkey sees itself as a guarantor in Idlib. However, the international powers are remaining silent at the moment. Russia and America are positioned in North and East Syria. They presented themselves as guarantors. If the guarantor countries do what they are supposed to do, they have an important role. However, these forces need to defend the people, not the occupying forces. Recently, invading Turkey no longer recognizes these guarantors. They carry out their attacks openly. Although the guarantors say that they want to stop these attacks, they have not yet taken a step forward in practice. The duty of the guarantors is to ensure the security of the people of the region.”

 

'WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE' 

 

Emphasizing that the SDF has protected Northern and Eastern Syria until today, Shami said: “We will continue to protect our people in 2022 under all circumstances, as we did in 2021. Our duty is to protect the people. We are the children of this people, no one from the outside will come and protect us. We need to protect ourselves. We have 3 main goals; We want to end the occupation. We want to ensure the complete destruction of ISIS, ensure peace in the region, and offer better opportunities to the people. We aim for the people to govern themselves.”