The Syriac Military Council (Mawtbo Folhoyo Suryoyo, MFS) coordinates much of the defense against the Turkish invasion forces and their SNA mercenaries in the Christian populated areas of northeastern Syria. ANF spoke with Khabour Akkad, one of the commanders of the military council.

Regarding the situation in Til Temir (Tal Tamr, Kurdish: Girê Xurma) Akkad says: "Our people live together as brothers and sisters in the framework of the Democratic Nation Project. The Turkish state is attacking the region in order to disrupt this coexistence and to cause conflicts. But our people are confronting these attacks that are doomed to failure.

Turkish state has suffered heavy losses

The Erdoğan regime does not abide by any of the ceasefire agreements negotiated for Northern Syria with the USA and Russia, Akkad explains. "In recent times, attacks on residential areas near Til Temir and around Zirgan (south of Serêkaniyê/Ras al-Ain) in particular have increased. The Turkish state is attacking us and bombing the region. Our forces in the region respond immediately to the attacks and have been able to fight back time and again. The aggressors suffered heavy losses in the battles. However, Turkey's attacks are causing great concern in the region.”

Akkad reports on the kidnappings, looting and war crimes committed by the Turkish army and its Islamist allies and demands an end to the occupation and a condemnation of Turkey.

Attacks remind of Iskenderun takeover

Alluding to the Turkish annexation of Iskenderun in 1938, Akkad warns against the illegal appropriation of Northern Syria by Turkey. At that time, the Turkish state moved into Iskenderun, Syria, as a "security force", occupied the region with its own "inhabitants" and then held a referendum, which incorporated the area into Turkey as the "Hatay province". This event - occupying, settling and then holding a referendum - is known by experts as the "Iskenderun model".

"It is our legitimate right to protect our people and our country. It is terrorists who are invading and trying to occupy our country. Turkey wants to continue its Iskenderun plan here and expand its borders by cutting out and annexing parts of Syria. They want to do the same in northern and eastern Syria as they did in Afrin, Jarablus, al-Bab and Idlib. They are changing the demography of the region, displacing the population and settling people who come from elsewhere," Akkad says.

Resistance will continue until the end of the occupation

"We fight together with the people for the liberation of the occupied territories. Until our people can return to their land, we will continue our resistance without interruption. We will make great sacrifices, but we will not allow this country to be occupied. We will fight until the last drop of blood to drive the occupiers from the region and allow our people to return. There is no choice but to resist.”

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