🔴Manbij resilient amid claims of Turkish-backed offensive: Journalist exposes Turkish propaganda
📌Manbij: A city standing strong! Despite claims of an imminent invasion, journalist Nazım Daştan(@nazimodastan) reveals vibrant streets and unwavering residents. #MinbicResists |… pic.twitter.com/yCUqQ5otV9
— MedyaNews (@medyanews_) December 5, 2024
Manbij (Minbic) remains at the centre of intense scrutiny amidst escalating tensions in northern Syria. Reports from Turkish mainstream media have suggested that Turkish-backed jihadist groups, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Syrian National Army (SNA), are poised to launch a large-scale offensive to seize the city. However, journalist Nazım Daştan, reporting on-site for Ajansa Nuçeyên Firatê (ANF), has exposed these claims as baseless propaganda aimed at justifying potential aggression.
Minbic, strategically located near Aleppo, has historically played a vital role in the Syrian conflict. As HTS forces intensified their presence in Aleppo, rumours of an imminent assault on Minbic spread rapidly. Turkish media portrayed the city as already weakened, with claims of mass evacuations and a fragile local defence.
Daştan, however, documented a starkly different reality. His field report showed a bustling city, far removed from the dire picture painted by the Turkish press. “The streets of Minbic are vibrant. Life continues as usual, with no visible signs of conflict or mass evacuation,” he said. Daştan also highlighted the preparedness of Minbic’s residents and its People’s Assembly to resist any attacks, underscoring the community’s resilience.
The Turkish state media’s narrative appears to be part of a broader disinformation campaign to legitimise further military intervention in northern Syria. Furthermore, the widely speculated CNN Türk debate programme about the imminent invasion of Manbij by Turkish-backed mercenaries has been completely falsified. Daştan’s report dismantled these claims, offering visual evidence of normalcy in Minbic. “The people of Minbic are not fleeing; they are standing their ground” he noted.
Since its liberation from ISIS in 2016, Minbic has consistently resisted Turkish-backed groups’ advances, showcasing a strong community spirit and organisational capacity.
The offensive by HTS and the SNA is part of a larger Turkish strategy to destabilise Kurdish-majority regions and assert influence in northern Syria. Claims of Minbic’s imminent collapse mirror tactics used in Afrin and other regions, where disinformation campaigns preceded military actions. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), People’s Assembly and local defence forces have declared their readiness to protect the city.
