While the attack of NATO member Turkey on Northern and Eastern Syria, which is contrary to international law, is called a "military offensive" in most foreign media as agreed and completely trivialized, and although the goal of the so-called "offensive" is the suffocation of the revolution and the ethnic cleansing of the self-governed areas of Rojava in order to annex them to Turkish state territory, the aggressors are still trying to expand their zone of occupation. After the USA and Russia gave green light to the occupation of the cities of Girê Spî (Tal Abyad) and Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ain) and surrounding villages, which triggered a mass flight - so far there is talk of at least 300,000 people - the population mosaic of Til Temir (Tel Tamer) is especially targeted by the invading troops.

The small town, whose Kurdish name is Girê Xurma, lies in the Khabur region, which stretches along the river of the same name in the canton of Hesekê. Til Temir is an outstanding example of the peaceful coexistence of all the ethnic and religious identities in the region. Syriacs, Armenians, Kurds and Arabs live here peacefully together.

Security along the Khabur is guaranteed by the Syriac Military Council and the Khabur Guards. In the centre of Til Temir, the autonomous security forces of the Sutoro Police (Syriac Security Office) and the Nattoreh (Assyrian People's Guard) are locally responsible for the protection of the Christian communities of north-eastern Syria. Their members consist of all Christian denominations. In addition, both associations are components of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and have participated in the fight against the terrorist militia "Islamic State" (ISIS) in Raqqa, Minbic, Tabqa and Deir ez-Zor. Now they are resisting the Turkish army and its jihadist auxiliaries.

Common defence to prevent genocide

Our colleague Cihan Bilgin from the ANHA news agency had the opportunity to talk to Emel Kako and Robert Isho from the Nattoreh forces in Til Temir.

"The unity of the peoples of northern and eastern Syria that has existed since 2011 has already helped us in the struggle against the ISIS to prevent a repetition of the Seyfo (also Sayfo, genocide of Syrian Christians under the responsibility of the Ottoman Empire 1914-1915) and the massacre of Semile (between 1933-1935 under the leadership of the Iraqi military in northern Iraq)," explains Emel Kako.

“This understanding of unity in the diversity of identities in Rojava protects people even today from attacks, this time by jihadist militias serving Turkey. They want to destroy the forces that are committed to defending the existence of the peoples. Thanks to our unity they will not succeed", says Kako, a member of the Nattoreh Internal Security Forces.

“Existence of women cannot be wiped out”

Kako tells that she joined the Nattoreh to protect the existence and life of her people, saying to be proud to do this. As an Assyrian woman, she avenged the massacres of her people. "The aggressors believe they can wipe out the existence of us women. They are wrong. Assyrian, Syriac and Armenian women will always exist and resist.”

Robert Isho: Attacks continue despite the ceasefire agreement

Robert Isho of the Nattoreh General Command underlines that contrary to public opinion that there exists a ceasefire in Northern and Eastern Syria, the attacks of the Turkish army and its so-called SNA ("Syrian National Army") continue unabated.

"The allies of the Turkish army are plundering and destroying the property of the ancestral civilian population. Many villages have been burned down. Turkey intends to change the demographic structure of the region. We are confronting it with our resistance.”

“Self-defence is our legitimate right”

Isho stresses that the Turkish state calls Northern and Eastern Syria a "breeding ground for terrorists", which must be destroyed. "This assertion legitimises the invasive attack on the people and their defence forces founded by the people here. It is our legitimate right to protect ourselves and our homeland from occupation. The terrorists are those who attack the people," says Isho.

Isho demands that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other government officials be brought to justice before an international tribunal for the war of aggression, which violates international law; "They must answer for their Neo-Ottoman expansion efforts - and for the massacres they have committed in the region.”

RELATED NEWS: