PERWÎN AMARA

Qamishlo- Manbij, a city in the northeast of Aleppo, has been recently under the attacks of the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions. Turkish-backed factions intensified their attacks on the city on December 6, 2024, killing and kidnapping many civilians. The people of Manbij, who were forced to leave their homes, have not been allowed to leave the city by these factions.

In an interview with NuJINHA, Dîlan Osman, one of the journalists covering the attacks on Manbij, answered our questions on the attacks.

· As a journalist, you covered the attacks on Manbij. What has happened since the start of the attacks of the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions?

The attacks on Manbij were carried out not only by Turkish-backed factions but also by the Turkish state and the MIT (National Intelligence Organization of Türkiye). The attacks on Manbij have never stopped since its liberation; however, the attacks have been intensified since December 6. The national intelligence organization of Türkiye had positioned its secret cells in North and East Syria to prevent the system based on democracy from being built in the region. These cells used psychological attacks and special warfare methods against the people in order to destroy this system. The attacks were carried out mostly in rural and border areas. The recent attacks on Manbij are a continuation of previous attacks.

·The armed groups have occupied the city of Manbij. What are your thoughts about this situation?

The attacks on Manbij were the attacks on women’s free will. We all know what the women of Manbij faced before the liberation of the city. The resistance in villages against the recent attacks on Manbij deeply affected us. YPJ fighters, the fighters of the Manbij Military Council and security forces fought against the armed groups to protect the honor of Manbij’s women. Some fighters killed themselves not to be taken captive by the armed groups. The fighters played their role in this battle as if they fought against an army. On December 8, the people of Manbij celebrated the fall of the Assad’s regime because they had been oppressed by the Assad’s regime for many years. Many people held in Syria’s prisoners were from Manbij. Therefore, the fall of the regime made people happy.

·The armed groups first targeted women when they entered Manbij. Three members of the Zenûbya Women’s Community were killed in the attacks. These women had fought against ISIS in the region for years. What do you think about the attacks targeting women?

The resistance of Manbij’s women against the attacks on their homeland boosted our morale. Qemer Sûd was one of the members of Zenûbiya Women’s Community killed in Manbij by the armed groups. The member of the armed groups, who killed Qemer Sûd, was her uncle. Qemer El Sod, Ayşe Ebdulqadir and Îman were the members of the community killed by the armed groups in Manbij and they were the symbols of resistance in the city. Despite all the threats, Qemer resisted until the last minute. The attacks on the women were carried out by the patriarchal system that ignores women and usurps women’s rights. The resistance of these three women inspired many women; many women fought to defend their homeland. Martyr Mizgîn Qamişlo, a member of the security forces, killed herself not to be taken captive by the armed groups.

· What impressed you the most while covering the attacks?

What impressed me the most was the children of Manbij, who raised their hands and chanted “Long live the SDF” although they did not understand what happened. Another thing that impressed me was the resistance in the military hospital. A group of fighters protected wounded people in the hospital until the last minute. A sniper protected the hospital against the armed groups for days. Their resistance will always be remembered. As a journalist, I will never forget their resistance.

· What kind of threat do Syrian women face due to the recent developments in Syria and what should women do?

We do not know what kind of threat Syria will face in the future. But we witness what kind of oppression faced by women in the areas controlled by the Turkish-backed factions. We witness that many decisions have already been made about Syrian women. Now, women living in areas controlled by the Turkish-backed factions are banned from working in legal institutions and have to cover their heads. Such decisions will pose a threat to the culture and identity of the Syrian people. As women journalists, we are responsible to report the threats against women and support the women’s struggle for freedom.