Amed (Diyarbakır)- Since December 8, 2024, the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions have been attacking the Tishreen Dam and the Qereqozax Bridge in northeastern Syria. On January 8, 2025, Kurdish, Arab, Armenian and Syriac people launched a civilian vigil on the dam against the attacks; however, the Turkish state began to target civilians holding the vigil. Many civilians have been killed and injured in Turkish drone attacks and airstrikes until now.

In an interview with NuJINHA, Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Amed MP Ceylan Akça commented on the ongoing Turkish attacks on North and East Syria.

 ‘Türkiye aims to achieve its goal by using the SNA’

Since the fall of the Baathist regime, Türkiye has been making efforts to have a say in Syria, emphasized Ceylan Akça, pointing out that Türkiye aims to achieve its goal by using armed groups separating from ISIS.

“A controlled army” emerged with the support of Türkiye. “Türkiye collected these armed groups and gave them some Ottoman names. Then, it publicized them as the ‘Syrian National Army (SNA)’. It formed an interim government for Syria in Ankara to legitimize these armed groups. This interim government began to play a role as if it were the political power controlling the army. However, Türkiye faced a new equation when Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), along with other armed groups, launched an offensive and toppled the Assad regime.”

‘The aim is to eliminate the Kurds’

Türkiye started attacking the Tishreen Dam because it aims to “eliminate the Kurds” from the new Syria, Ceylan Akça stressed.

“Türkiye follows a dirty policy over dams and water. It has built dams on the Euphrates-Tigris rivers and uses these dams against Iraqi Kurdistan. It cuts off the water of the rivers, increasing political tension. The ongoing attacks on the Tishreen Dam is also caused by this dirty policy.”

‘Türkiye sees the dam as a negotiation card’

Ceylan Akça thinks that Türkiye wants to take control of the dam to use it as a negotiation card. “Türkiye wants to push the Kurds out of the dam and has a negotiation card to use against the government led by HTS. Dams and water are very important while the whole world suffers from climate change. However, dams have become a political negotiation card. Türkiye is aware of this and aims to position the SNA to make it a part of the new Syrian regime.”

‘International silence encourages Türkiye’

Türkiye keeps attacking North and East Syria by following Israeli policies, Ceylan Akça said. “International silence encourages Türkiye. Türkiye has committed war crimes due to the international silence.”

 ‘Take urgent action’

Ceylan Akça also commented on the Turkish attacks targeting civilians in North and East Syria. “A number of civilians, including journalists, have been killed in the attacks. Türkiye keeps committing war crimes because it believes it will not be convicted for its war crimes,” said Ceylan Akça, calling on the international community and human rights organizations to “take urgent action” against the war crimes committed by Türkiye in North and East Syria.