Manbij Legislative Council co-chair and El Bobena tribe Sheikh, Faruk Al Mashi spoke to ANHA news agency about the latest developments in the region and the Turkish state's threats against Manbij.

When did the Turkish state begin to threaten Manbij?

In 2014, DAESH (ISIS) mercenaries invaded Manbij and its villages. Those mercenaries soon turned the historical sites of the city into killing and torture centers, especially for intellectuals and young people. Most of the people of the city were forced to emigrate because of the brutality and violence of DAESH.

Turkey played a major role with the displaced people. Turkey opened a border crossing for young people and it planned to use these young people later on for terrorist actions in Syria.

The international forces were silent during this intervention. As people of Manbij, we have repeatedly called for the international community and the Arab League to reject the attacks by the Turkish state and DAESH. But unfortunately the silence of these states continued.

The Manbij people called to stand up and fight to free the city from DAESH, to which the Turkish state responded by actually acting against our forces by trying to put people one against the other even through the press. At this point, the international community and the human rights organizations were asked to stop the threat coming from the Turkish state against the Manbij people and the Manbij Military Council.

When the DAESH mercenaries massacred the people of Manbij it had no opposition from anyone. Why did the Turkish state want to intervene after the Manbij Military Council liberated the city with hundreds of martyrs?

Many claim that they are friends of the Syrian people, but unfortunately they are hostile to the Syrian people behind the scenes. When they speak of the people of Manbij, they know who the people of Manbij are. The people of Manbij are the liberators of this city and they are now living in this city. Unfortunately, many states are involved in this conspiracy. Meetings provide no results. We want to protect our country from terrorism and occupation of the Turkish state.

Some sections refer to the Turkish state as the pioneer of the revolution. But that's not true. Those who see the Turkish state as the pioneer of the Syrian revolution should give a good look at history, at the history of the Ottoman occupation. The Ottoman occupation was a special hegemony.

The AKP and its president, Erdogan, want a revival of the Ottoman occupation in Syria. The occupation of Afrin is a clear example of this. The Turkish state is now trying to change the demography of the region. They get people from Homs, Ghouta and other regions, and settle them in the houses of the displaced people of Afrin. And what it is doing in Afrin is under everybody’s eyes. Did Erdogan come to save Afrin people?

When the mercenaries invaded Manbij, the Turkish state was silent while civilians were slaughtered by these mercenaries. At the beginning of the operation to liberate Manbij, the Turkish state began making threats against the Manbij Military Council. This is why the Turkish state wants the terrorist groups to return to Manbij again and use them to force people to emigrate once more. The Turkish state wants to complete the DAESH project in the region and it never takes the situation of the people into consideration. They actually think for Manbij the same scenario produced in Afrin, with its people forced to emigrate. When I visited Afrin, I was a witness of the invasion attacks of the Turkish state. The Turkish army used all kinds of weapons against the people of Afrin. For this reason, we can say that the Turkish state wants to reactivate terrorist groups under different names.

The Turkish state is using the presence of Kurdish forces to threaten an invasion of Manbij. How true is this argument? Are there any Kurdish force or a Kurdish leadership in Manbij?

When the Manbij Military Council was established so was a Manbij Civil Council. When the Manbij Military Council called to struggle against DAESH, and the umbrella organisation of the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces), of which the YPG and YPJ and other forces were a part, responded positively to the Council’s call. The Council approved the participation into such an organisation and many youth from Manbij went to do their part in the resistance.

After these powers liberated the city, YPG and YPJ officially withdrew from Manbij leaving security aspects and management of the city completely to the Manbij Military Council. In these past few days the last training and advisory group of YPG has also withdrawn from Manbij.

Turkey is making propaganda through the press trying to create internal turmoil. But the people of Manbij are very well aware of the plans of the Turkish state. The people have not forgotten the Turkish state’s invasion of Afrin.

How do you assess the Turkish government and the US meeting on Manbij?

Relations between the International Coalition and the Manbij administration continue. The International Coalition has visited Manbij several times in the last period. We are no enemies of the Turkish state, but we oppose the AKP and president Erdogan’s policies, as they are constantly threatening Manbij.

The people of Manbij know well the developments and realities in the region. For this reason, we call on the international powers to look at the Manbij situation and to stand against the conspiracy of the Turkish state. No matter the agreements made, the Turkish state is targeting the people of Manbij.

What is your message to the people of Manbij?

The society in Manbij is like a mosaic of peoples. We are rebuilding what DAESH has destroyed. Young people in Syria and especially in Manbij have high expectations. Manbij is a part of Syria’s integrity. We are struggling to stop the blood flowing in Syria. We are calling on all patriots to make their part in the work carried out to stop bloodshed in Syria.