During the Armenian and Seyfo genocide in the summer of 1915, Armenians, Syriacs and Assyrians were forced to travel through the deserts of Deir ez-Zor without water. Hundreds of thousands died in this bitter journey.

This is why Deir ez-Zor is sentimentally important for the Christian community in the Middle East. Most of the remaining Armenians in the country are descendants of those who managed to reach Deir ez-Zor after the long “death march”. And some of the Assyrians and Syriacs settled in Syriaafter the Seyfo (1915) and 1933 Assyrian massacre in Southern Kurdistan.

Özgür Tek, a Syriac fighter in YPG ranks knows history well. Now a part of the campaign against ISIS in Deir ez-Zor, he says “The Armenians were forced exile here in Deir ez-Zor in 1915 and during recent years ISIS killed thousands of Syriacs and threw them into the Khabour river. We came here to stop those atrocities.”

We met with Özgür Tek while he was unloading ammunition boxes from a military transport vehicle. He is one of the many who work to supply the forces on the front line.

Özgür is from Mersin, a coastal city in south of Turkey and he comes from a Syriac family. Most of the Syriacs in Turkey immigrated to western countries, especially those who live in western Turkey so it’s a rare thing to meet a Syriac from Mersin.

Özgür joined the YPG during the Battle of Kobanê three years ago. After Kobanê was liberated he chose to stay and continue to fight against ISIS.

“Here you see those who stand in front of you to protect you from enemy fire. You see those who die for you. There is a great spirit here. It influences you and you stay. I cannot explain you this spirit, you have to experience it” he says.

Özgür says that the first thing that touched him about Rojava was an image of a wounded girl and her sibling whose family was killed by ISIS mortar fire. He joined YPG soon after he saw that image.

After fighting in the ranks of the YPG in Tishrin, Qarakozax, Manbij and Shaddadi, Özgür is now in Deir ez-Zor. He is commanding a unit that supplies ammunition for the front line of Operation Cizire Storm.

“I will do anything that our comrades want me to do. I am delighted to do what’s required and I will continue to do it” he said.