Farhad Shami, head of the Syrian Defence Forces (SDF) Media Centre, has shed light on the ongoing Turkish aggression in northeast Syria. He emphasised that the resilience shown by the local population in defending their land, despite brutal attacks and civilian casualties, was a “victory in itself”, hinting that Turkey’s underlying objective was an attempt to force a Kurdish exodus from the region.
Shami stated, in the recent Sterk TV interview, that the Kurdish-led SDF retaliated against Turkey’s bombardment of the region, killing five Turkish soldiers in response to the Tell Tamer (Til Temir) attacks. Additionally, he revealed that their forces successfully downed Turkish reconnaissance vehicles.
Shami also criticised international organisations, particularly the United Nations, for their hypocritical stance. “The UN makes decisions under the influence of other powers, lacking moral and humanitarian integrity,” he said. He added that while these organisations claim to work for human rights, their inaction when civilians are targeted is morally indefensible.
The SDF Media Centre Head further revealed that they are in dialogue with other military forces in the region, including the US-led international coalition and Russian forces. However, he expressed disappointment at their lackluster response to the Turkish attacks. “Their reaction to this situation is almost non-existent,” Shami stated. He also pointed out that reconnaissance vehicles of the Turkish state, which were shot down by their forces, were close to American positions, raising questions about the real intent of these international forces in the region.
Shami concluded by saying that the attacks are twofold: the caused massacres and simultaneously exposed the “occupying and massacring face of the Turkish state” at an international level that cannot be ignored. “Our forces carried out an action against the occupying Turkish state, killing five Turkish soldiers. This action is a response to the Tell Tamer attacks,” he said.
Siyamend Ali, Director of the People’s Defence Units (YPG) Media Centre, corroborated this on Twitter, stating that their forces had carried out two military operations against Turkish bases, resulting in casualties.
