Challenges, risks faced by journalists during offensive on Serêkaniyê, Girê Spî

The Turkish occupation attack on Serêkaniyê and Tal Abyad/Girê Spî in 2019 posed a difficult challenge for journalists, who faced difficult circumstances in covering the facts of the attacks and the displacement of the indigenous people of the region, in addition to their efforts to shape a global public opinion about the brutality of the Turkish state.

 ANHA agency correspondent, Saad Ahmed, was martyred while covering a convoy of civilians from the people of Al-Jazeera Canton who headed to Serêkaniyê to denounce the Turkish attack, on October 13, 2019.

 Çira TV correspondent Mohammed Hussein Rasho was martyred one day after Saad Ahmed, due to the wounds he sustained in the massacre committed by Turkish occupation aircraft in the city of Serêkaniyê on October 13, 2019.

 On the same day, in the city of Tal Abyad/Girê Spî, the journalists Delvan Kver and Wedat Erdem were martyred after Turkish occupation drone attack.

 According to the Committee to Protect Journalists' Global Impunity Index, Syria is the second country after Somalia among the 12 countries responsible for 80% of journalist murders during the last decade.

 ANHA agency contacted a number of journalists in NE Syria to talk about their experience in covering the Turkish aggression on the cities of Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî in 2019.

 Mohammed Hassan, the correspondent for RT is among the field correspondents who followed the events during the Turkish attacks that caused the displacement of nearly 300,000 Syrian citizens from various components in the area extending from Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî.

 "It was extremely difficult. Entering the city Serêkaniyê and covering the random shelling and systematic displacement against civilians was not possible due to the Turkish state's deliberate targeting of everything," Hassan said.

 He added, "I remember very well that one of the convoys that left Tal Tamr and headed to the city of Serêkaniyê to support the Syrian Democratic Forces, they were all civilians and accompanied by journalists, they were directly targeted by the Turkish occupation, that led to casualties among the field correspondents."

 Hassan points out that targeting journalists is a Turkish policy that it has been pursuing since the years of war in Syria, whether targeting them on the ground or through virtual social media sites by limiting their activities, and silencing their voices.

 The journalist Akram Saleh says that the difficulties they have suffered for 10 years of covering the battles in NE Syria are the deliberate and repeated targeting of journalists by both ISIS and the Turkish state, pointing to the difficult environment for journalists in Afrin, Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî, as a result of the occupation's use of drones and warplanes against journalists and civilians.

 Akram Saleh added "Local journalists have worked to document the events, but unfortunately there has been a great disregard by the international community and the international media regarding the crimes committed by the Turkish state in Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî and before that in Afrin.

"I believe that the war waged by the Turkish state in NE Syria is no less criminal against civilians than the events in other places."

 In this context, CANAL 8 journalist Avin Şekhmus says: "Th Turkish attacks aim to eliminate both civilian and journalists."

 "The situation was tragic for us journalists; thousands are being displaced and there is random bombing targeting every one,  we cannot do that in the face of that tragic reality," Şekhmus added.

 Şekhmus made the point clear: "If the Turkish state today talks about security and safety in its-controlled areas, then let the media outlets enter there. However, there are nothing but daily violations practiced by groups affiliated with the Turkish state."

 The Turkish occupation state also directly targeted ANHA agency's correspondent, Issam Abdullah during the bombing on the villages of Qarjukh, affiliated with the city of Derik, on the night of November 20, 2022, which led to his martyrdom.

 Sterk TV correspondent, Mohammed Jarada was injured while covering the aftermath of the Turkish airstrikes on the New Kobani neighborhood, Kaniya Kurdan neighborhood, Qara Mogh village, and Mishtenur hill on November 20.

 A Turkish drone also targeted a car carrying journalists working for JIN TV on August 23 of last year, killing JIN TV member Najmuddin Faisal and injuring journalist Dalila Akid.

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