By Agid Meshmesh
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Over the past three months, Turkish drones have killed three journalists and injured eight others near the Tishrin Dam in northern Syria while they were covering events in the area.
Calls to halt Turkish violations against journalists are increasing. According to official statistics, at least 17 journalists have lost their lives in Turkish airstrikes on northern Syria.
In January, Human Rights Watch stated that Turkey and its affiliated armed factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), have committed war crimes around the Tishrin Dam.
On Feb. 15, journalist Sharvan Sido (aka Agid Roj) was killed in a Turkish drone strike on the Tishrin Dam. In separate statements, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said that Roj had covered numerous events and battles in northern Syria. Both statements urged international organizations concerned with journalists’ protection to expose Turkish violations, emphasizing that targeting journalists violates all laws and conventions protecting them.
On Dec. 20, the Free Media Union, a press syndicate in northern Syria, mourned the deaths of journalists Jihan Belkin and Nazim Dashtan, who were killed in a Turkish airstrike south of Kobani while returning from the Tishrin Dam.
Dozens of journalists
Dilyar Jaziri, co-chair of the Free Media Union, told North Press that since the beginning of the Syrian conflict 31 journalists have lost their lives in various parts of northern Syria while covering events, including 17 who were killed in Turkish airstrikes, both from warplanes and drones.
He added that recent Turkish strikes on the Tishrin Dam led to the deaths of three journalists and injuries to eight others.
Jaziri condemned Turkey’s actions, stating that Turkey is committing crimes against humanity. These attacks are a clear violation of international laws and conventions.
He condemned Turkey’s targeting of journalists and called on the United Nations, especially international media organizations and press unions to pressure Turkey to end its violations.
Exposing violations
Arin Sweid, an editor at Hawar News Agency, which recently lost its reporter Jihan Belkin in a Turkish airstrike, said that the journalists who traveled to Tishrin Dam were covering Turkey’s large-scale attack on the dam and reporting the developments to various media outlets.
She told North Press that journalists managed to document dozens of Turkish violations in the Tishrin Dam area.
According to Sweid, Turkey deliberately targets journalists to conceal facts and violations. However, she stressed that Turkey’s attacks “will not stop us from practicing our journalistic work in northern Syria, documenting violations, and exposing them to the world.”
Mohammed Badli, a reporter for Ronahi TV, was injured while covering a sit-in protest at the dam. He noted that Turkey has been targeting northern Syria for years through continuous military interventions, airstrikes, and economic measures such as cutting off water supplies and imposing blockades on the region.
He added that at least 280 people have been injured in Turkish airstrikes on the Tishrin Dam.
Badli said, “I was also injured while covering the sit-in protests at Tishrin Dam. Turkish drones directly targeted us while we were among the protesters.”
Dozens of journalists have covered Turkey’s attacks, which have killed scores of civilians in northern Syria and targeted infrastructure, according to the Ronahi TV reporter.