On the 27th November 2024 the jihadist militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allies began an offensive against the Bashar al-Assad regime, which was to end its reign and significantly change power dynamics in the Middle East.
Simultaneously Turkey and its mercenary army, the Syrian National Army (SNA), began an offensive against the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) and its peoples. They began by invading the Shehba canton, forcefully displacing an estimated 150.000 people. Shortly after they besieged the Manbij canton, just west of the Euphrates river. This occupational war, that has been going on for over 55 days as of date, has seen war crimes such as targeting Tishreen dam itself, posing a great danger to the region and beyond.
The Tishreen Dam, located east of Aleppo on the Euphrates River, is part of the vital civil infrastructure in North and East Syria. The dam provides around one million people with agricultural, water and electricity needs. Turkey has been bombing its vicinity since the 9th December 2024 nearly on a daily basis with drones and occasionally with warplanes. If the Tishreen Dam, which holds 2 billion cubic meters of water, collapses, the dam will spill into the Euphrates River. Even under the precautionary measure of opening all river gates, the level of water will reach 16 billion cubic meters, far exceeding the river beds, meaning it will flood the surrounding areas. The consequences of the flooding would reach as far as Raqqa and possible even Iraq.
As a response to these heinous attacks, the people of North-East Syria began protesting the bombing of the dam in order to protect their livelihoods. Beginning on 8th January 2025, people drove in a convoy to Tishreen dam, planning to hold a vigil. Since the 8th the people have been holding a vigil at Tishreen dam, with every few
days convoys departing and newly arriving. Turkey has not stopped attacking the
civilians, consciously targeting these despite clearly showing as civilian gatherings.
While the Turkish state continues its attacks on the dam itself, it overall attacked the civilian convoy and gatherings seven times
with aerial bombardment, at times being accompanied by
shelling on the ground from SNA militias:
- On 08.01.2025 Turkish drones targeted the convoy en route to Tishreen dam and later also at Tishreen dam itself, resulting in 3 civilians being martyred and 15 civilians being injured.
- On 15.01.2025 again a convoy driving to Tishreen dam was targeted on the way nar Sirrin town, resulting in 1 civilian being martyred and 4 civilians being injured. In this attack Kurdish Red Cresecent ambulances were also destroyed.
Further drones attacked a civilian gathering nearby the dam, resulting in 3 civilians being martyred and 19 civilians being injured. One young woman later also died of her injuries. - On 16.01.2025 Turkish warplanes targeted the people gathered at Tishreen dam, resulting in 1 civilian being martyred and over 40 civilians being injured, including 3 journalists. 4 civilians who were injured died the same day of their injuries.
- On 18.01.2024 Turkish drones attacked a gathering at Tishreen dam martyring 6 civilians and injuring 15.
An ambulance transporting injured civilians to the hospital was also targeted near the Tishreen dam vicinity. - On 21.01.2025 Turkish drones targeted civilians while they were dancing on Tishreen dam. The attack lead to 2 civilians being martyred and 20 being injured.
- On 22.01.2025 a Turkish drone attacked again the civilian gathering on the dam, resulting in 1 civilians being martyred and 22 being injured.
Since the 8th January 2025, overall 203 civilians have been injured in attacks on Tishreen dam, including health workers and journalists, and 22 civilians have been martyred. Turkey has been conducting several war crimes – targeting civilians, targeting health workers and targeting journalists.
The Turkish state continues to act with impunity among the international community. SDF further obtained footage from a Turkish drone showing that Turkish Armed Forces are operating drones from a base on Syrian territory.
(Information as of 24.01.2025 14:00 CET)
Turkish War Crimes
Attacks on Tishreen Dam and civilians protests at Tishreen Dam
17.-23. January 2025
Turkish War Crimes
Attacks on Tishreen Dam and civilians protests at Tishreen Dam
8.-16. January 2025
