Still, he does not want to go back to Germany at first.

In Afrin, a Turkish mortar shell almost cost him his life, splinters of which he still carries in his body.

that would have somehow connected him with the area - he is there out of conviction.

that would have somehow connected him with the area - he is there out of conviction. In Afrin, a Turkish mortar shell almost cost him his life, splinters of which he still carries in his body. Still, he does not want to go back to Germany at first.

he joined the Kurdish militia YPG to fight against Islamist terrorists, but also against the Turkish army.

, a year ago he joined the Kurdish militia YPG to fight against Islamist terrorists, but also against the Turkish army. Martin does not have a

I met Sidar, according to Martin's Kurdish fight name, via WhatsApp. For a month now we have been sending voice messages between Berlin, Syria or Iraq - depending on where he is. He seems sympathetic, open and friendly, he likes to finish his chats with smiley smiles. In the background of his voice messages, I hear a cock scream, people laugh, sometimes someone calls to eat - and the other day, the bang of a machine gun. So it is at war. Wait a lot, sit around a lot. And yet it is always about life and death.

VICE: You've lived in a war zone for a year. You co-liberated ar-Raqqa from the IS, you were in Afrin to defend the city from the Turkish invasion. You have seen much suffering, blood and destruction. What did that do to you? Martin: Life here has changed me and my view of the world. For example, when a very good comrade died. Losing someone you've been sitting with for months, eating, training, shopping, or just doing nonsense is unimaginable. A world has collapsed for me. I just wanted to go home and get fed up with the war. But I believe in destinies. I can run away as long as I want, a bullet is for me. And my time has not come yet.





https://www.facebook.com/martin.klamper



How did your first fight go? A few months later, we drove to ar-Raqqa for the final major operation to rid the city of IS. My first fight was just panic. Suddenly the IS from the opposite house started to shoot at us. That was the middle of the day. They knew exactly where we were. And the Americans could not support us from the air because we were too close to the house of the jihadists. I grabbed my AK and shot out of a window until our commander shouted to us to stop it being over.

Why do you feel like this war is for you? Because it concerns us all. Daesh - the Arabic term for IS - has also arrived in Europe. Blame is in my opinion Turkey under Erdoğan. The world must finally understand that Erdoğan is responsible for this war. Because the IS gets support from Turkey. If you want to join the jihadists, you have to fly to Turkey. If IS wants to go to Europe, it has to go through Turkey. She is the gateway to Europe.

Do you sometimes deal with civilians in Syria or Iraq? How do they see what you are doing? For the civilian population, we foreigners are a blessing. They know that we come from afar, that we have left our safe homes and families and are risking our lives to help them. I feel that the civilian population appreciates that more than the militia.

In January, you decided to stay in Syria to fight against Turkey in Afrin. Turkey is a NATO partner. Are you afraid of having problems with the judiciary when you come back to Germany? I do not know what happens when I come back. Sure, I could get in trouble with the judiciary if they find out I was in Afrin. So far, the YPG returnee has not happened. I just can not imagine living in Germany anymore. This stress, the hustle and bustle, the daily routine there.

He who claims not to be afraid lies and is only too cowardly to admit it.

If you're honest, do you like life in war better? I love this country. The culture, the people and the landscape are dear to my heart. I would be willing to buy a house here with a garden and a family to start. Nevertheless, I realize that war rules, even if you do not see it. We can smash the Daesh militarily, but the ideology is still anchored in many parts of the civilian population.

You were badly injured in Afrin and were in mortal danger. Actually, I wanted to return to Germany in January. But then the Turkish invasion started on Afrin and a Spanish comrade persuaded me to stay. We both went to Afrin. He died on the first day, and I got caught in a mortar fire. Now I have metal splinters in the body. To this day - the operation is too risky, so I prefer to let them in.

How big was your fear? There are always moments when I'm scared. He who claims not to be afraid lies and is only too cowardly to admit it.

Why do not you fly home to get surgery? Because there is much to do. After my injuries I thought about going back to Germany and then coming back. But we are a real team here. We train all day for use. We are constantly together. I like it here. All this I lose when I fly to Germany. Sure, it's risky to have metal shards in your body, but what happened to me is nothing unlike other fates. Here people have lost their eyes, metal shards in their heads or they lack an arm or leg. They continue to fight anyway. I feel bad about letting people down here. In addition, I think that in the Syrian-Kurdish city of Manbijk, the same could happen soon as in Afrin. When the world looks away, as it did in Afrin, I definitely want to be there.