Residents of North and East Syria, known as Rojava, marked the end of a 118-day resistance campaign on Monday with jubilant public celebrations after local authorities declared victory against Turkish-led attacks on the strategically vital Tishreen (Tışrîn) Dam.
Since 8 January, Kurdish, Arab and Assyrian communities had maintained a round-the-clock presence at the dam, denouncing what they described as systematic strikes by Turkey and allied paramilitary groups targeting the region’s key infrastructure and civilian lifelines.
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) announced the successful conclusion of the vigil, stating that the resistance had thwarted Turkish efforts to damage the dam and suppress local self-rule.
“This dam powers millions of lives, and the people stood as a human shield to protect it,” said Evîn Siwêd, co-chair of the AANES Executive Council, during a press conference held in Kurdish and Arabic. “The resistance has written a chapter of heroism in our history.”
The Tishreen Dam, located along the Euphrates River, supplies electricity and water to vast swathes of northern Syria. The Autonomous Administration claimed that repeated attacks on the dam were aimed at undermining both civilian infrastructure and the will of local populations striving for democratic autonomy.
Thousands rallied in cities across the region, waving flags, chanting slogans, and holding portraits of civilians and journalists killed during the defence campaign. Among the fallen were journalists Cihan Bilgin, Nazım Daştan, and Egid Roj, remembered as symbols of the resistance.
Participants included youth and women’s movements as well as local officials. The crowd carried posters of Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed Kurdish leader, underscoring the movement’s ideological underpinnings.
The AANES declared the Tishreen Dam a “symbol of national unity” and vowed to remain vigilant against future threats, while saluting the sacrifices of fighters, civilians, medics and journalists who stood against the assaults.
