The northern Syrian city of Manbij and its surroundings are at the top of Turkey's attack list. Until 2016, the town was occupied by ISIS and formed an important point of contact between the Turkish state and the terrorist organisation's "caliphate". A large part of ISIS logistics, which were brought to the region with the support of the Turkish intelligence service MIT, passed through Manbij. Jihadists also travelled via Manbij and Turkey to join the ISIS or to carry out attacks all over the world. Accordingly, both ISIS and Turkey were hit when Manbij was liberated by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Now, Turkey's alleged "anti-terrorist operations" did not start against ISIS, but against the liberated population and the liberators, and since then Manbij has been shelled almost daily, especially by Turkish artillery. Time and again, Turkey has announced a large-scale invasion that is to begin in Manbij, among other places. In doing so, the Turkish state is trying to refer to Turkmen minorities in the region in order to mobilise Pan-Turkist, Turkish-fascist circles even more. The Turkmen people have refused this abuse from the beginning and have taken their place in radical democratic self-government at all levels.

"The Turkish state is trying to break the will of the people"

The deputy co-chair of the Manbij Autonomous Council, Cuma Ali Haydar, is a representative of the Turkmen Union and, in an interview with ANF, he expressed the Turkmen people's perspective on Turkey's attacks and acute threats of invasion. Haydar emphasised that the Turkmen people want a life of stability and democracy and are fighting for it. However, he said, Turkish attacks on the region are aimed at breaking the will of the region's people and creating chaos. "We are working on our own project here and we will defend our principles and our achievements against all attacks, dirty alliances and plots."

"We have the right to defend ourselves"

Haydar pointed out that northern and eastern Syria have not attacked anyone and quoted the principle expressed by Abdullah Öcalan: "Even if we controlled all the technology and power in the world, we would not attack anyone, but we would defend ourselves against any attack. We have the right to do so." He continued, "The Turkish state wants to destabilise the region, bring the economy to a standstill, disrupt the coexistence of peoples and turn them against each other. It wants to occupy the whole region and establish its own rule. I live in a village on the border line and I am exposed to the attacks of the Turkish state almost every day. The reason for the aggressiveness is this state's great fear of the autonomous administration project."

"Russia exerts pressure on Damascus to reconcile with Ankara"

Referring to the geopolitical impact of the Ukraine war in the region, Haydar said, "Russia is putting pressure on the government in Damascus to reconcile with Ankara. We, the people of north-east Syria, demand that an agreement or talks must take place with the participation of all the peoples and parties of Syria. The peoples of Syria should come together with all parties, discuss and create the basis for a free country."

"We will not hand over our country to anyone"

Haydar underlined the need for dialogue with all forces that want peace, stability and democracy: "As the Turkmen, like all the peoples of northern and eastern Syria, we are striving for a democratic, free and peaceful life. Our quest finds expression in the project of the democratic nation. We strive to live in our own country together with all peoples within the framework of the democratic system. We have not attacked any people or state so far. Everyone sees that the Turkish state is an occupying state and is attacking our territories every hour of every day. This land is ours, this soil is ours. We will not give our land to anyone."

"We stand alongside the defence forces"

Haydar defined the autonomous administration of north and east Syria as the legitimate representation of the will of the people of the region and emphasised that in the SDF "the children of all the peoples of the region" are fighting.

"We will defend our land alongside our children. I see it in my village: the Turkish state attacks every day. It shoots at our fields and houses, but the people continue their daily lives and just carry on. This shows that there is no way the enemy will succeed in breaking our will. We are committed to our own project, our principles and our achievements against all attacks, dirty alliances and plots," he concluded.