Turkish jets continue to bomb Kurdish areas

[Anthea]

Death from above: Iraqi border villages
bear the brunt of Turkish air strikes

The village of Araden sits amidst gorgeous countryside not far from the main tourist attractions of Iraq's Kurdish region. Stunning mountains dot the landscape, while the city of Amedi overlooks green valleys, and there are remnants of an old vacation home used by the former president Saddam Hussein close by.

In Araden, which is largely Christian, churches are surrounded by lush forests and fields. However, Araden and other villages near the Iraqi-Turkish border face regular air strikes from Turkey, which is targeting positions held by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

According to the Erbil-based Kurdish media outlet Rudaw, in the past year, Turkish jets have bombed Amedi district 98 times, and at least 12 people have been killed.

The armed Kurdish group has fought a guerrilla war in Turkey since 1984, and the PKK has long made its base in the mountainous border between Turkey and northern Iraq, which is controlled by the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Mohammad Salih lost his son, Dilovan Mohammad Salih, to such an air strike on 15 November, when Dilovan was tending to his honey bees in the mountains above the village. He has no hope that the bombs will stop in the future.

“Kurdistan can’t stop the Turkish bombs,” said the older Salih, using the Kurdish nationalist name for the region, holding a picture of his late child.

“Turkey is a big country. Kurdistan is small.”

Salih says his son was not a member of the PKK, nor a supporter. He said he was in the Peshmerga, the official military unit of the KRG.

This was not the last time Turkey struck apparent PKK targets in Iraq. On 13 December, Turkish jets hit a refugee camp in Makhmour, which, unlike Araden, is deep in territory controlled by Baghdad.

Turkey believes the PKK has a presence in the camp. Ankara will not stop what it sees as essential operations for its security, and is currently threatening to invade Kurdish-inhabited parts of neighbouring Syria in an effort to fight the PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units (YPG).

However, people in Araden and the nearby villages in the Kurdistan region of Iraq’s border area are already suffering because of the Turkey-PKK conflict.

The PKK seeks autonomy for predominantly Kurdish regions in southeast Turkey, and uses violent tactics to achieve this. Turkey attributed a bomb attack that killed seven Turkish soldiers in October to the PKK.

The group has a large presence along the mountainous border between southeast Turkey and the Kurdish region in northern Iraq, and Turkey’s air force frequently targets them there, despite recent Iraqi opposition. Iraq condemned the attack in Makhmour, and summoned Turkey’s ambassador over it.

However, Turkey continued to bomb northern Iraq shortly after this, and regularly bombed the PKK in KRG territory and the Sinjar region throughout 2018. Most of the attacks were in areas close to the Turkish border, like the one that killed Salih’s son.

The Makhmour attack, on the other hand, took place 165km into Iraqi territory. Some villages in the Duhok province have reportedly been evacuated due to the dangers of the bombings.

The attacks have disrupted life in villages near the Iraq-Turkey border. Salih says he supports neither the PKK nor Turkey’s presence in the area, and that the Turkish jets in the sky have rendered it unsafe to go to parts of Araden closer to the mountains.

“It’s dangerous,” he said. “There are always airplanes.”

'Bullying'

Many villagers are fed up with the situation. Salwan Hirmiz owns a small convenience store in the centre of Araden. He says the strikes have made farming difficult.

“They’re bullying Iraqi and Kurdish lands,” he said from his shop near a church in the town.

“Farmers can’t go to the mountain. They’re scared.”

Locals are quick to point out Turkey’s military presence in the area. Turkey maintains a military base in Bamerne, which is just west of Araden, according to Rudaw. MEE observed a base with what looked like an airstrip in the town. At the time of publication, the KRG had not responded to MEE requests to confirm the site's use.

Turkey, which launched Operation Tigris Shield - a ground incursion into Iraq against the PKK - on 10 March last year, had 11 military bases in northern Iraq as of June 2018, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

This is not to say the area is a warzone, though. Amedi, the largest locale near Araden, is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the area, bringing in people from across the KRG and Iraq in the spring and summer.

The conflict does not affect daily life in the city, according to one shopkeeper.

“They don’t hit the town, only the mountains,” Muhammad Ahmed told MEE.

However, Ahmed said he wanted both Turkey and the PKK to leave the area, and said he felt powerless in the face of the bombs.

“I don’t like it because it’s my land and I can’t stop them,” he said from his store in central Amedi.

A lot of people in the area are not supporters of the PKK. The Duhok province the villages lie in is a stronghold for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which is the largest party in the KRG.

The KRG is limited, but it can condemn it at least. The KRG has been silent and it is shameful for KRG leadership

- Sarkawt Shams, Kurdish MP

Araden’s Assyrian Christian population suffers from a Turkey-PKK conflict that does not involve them, and other Assyrian villages in Iraq have been caught up in the fighting as well.

Immediately following the 15 November bombing, some on social media accused the KRG of being neither strong nor fast enough in condemning the attack, although the Peshmerga did condemn the Turkish air strike a few days later. And in March, the KRG also officially expressed concern over Turkish air strikes in its territory.

Sarkawt Shams, a member of the Iraqi parliament from the New Generation party, says the KRG can only do so much, but should come out stronger against Turkey’s air strikes nonetheless.

“The KRG is limited, but it can condemn it at least,” Shams told MEE. “The KRG has been silent and it is shameful for KRG leadership.”

Baghdad 'silent'

The federal Iraqi government strongly condemned the Makhmour bombing, but the camp is recognised by Baghdad as federal and not part of the KRG. Villages like Araden in Duhok province, on the other hand, where many of the air strikes have taken place, are recognised by Baghdad as KRG territories.

Shams thinks Iraq has likewise been slow to condemn Turkey’s actions overall, and says this is the first time the country summoned the ambassador over the issue.

Imagine if Iraqi forces launched some attacks or military interventions in Turkish lands, what would be the response? - Ali al-Bayati, Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights

“Baghdad is also responsible for keeping silent or ignoring the strikes as if the Kurdistan region is not part of Iraq,” he said.

Some Iraqi politicians are similarly angered by the Turkish attacks in Iraqi territory. Ali al-Bayati from the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights says Turkey should work with Iraq to fight the PKK, and not bomb the country unilaterally.

“If Turkey wants a real solution in the case of the PKK, they should cooperate with the Iraqi side,” he told MEE. “Imagine if Iraqi forces launched some attacks or military interventions in Turkish lands, what would be the response?”

From the Turkish government’s point of view, the air strikes are a matter of national security. The PKK is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, as well as by the United States and European Union.

More than 1,100 Turkish security services members have been killed in the Turkey-PKK conflict since peace talks broke down in 2015, according to the International Crisis Group, which updated their statistics on 11 January.

Since 2015, more than 460 civilians and more than 2,400 PKK fighters have also been killed, according to the group.

Iraq’s President Barham Salih, a Kurd from the city of Sulaimaniyah, met with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 3 January.

The two discussed the PKK issue, but it is not clear what, if anything, will come out of the meeting.

Regardless of what happens to Turkey-Iraq ties in 2019, the damage is already done.

“He was born there and killed there,” Salih said of his son.

“He left behind four kids who are now living without a dad.”

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/ther ... 2007599086

[Anthea]

Turkey bombs South Kurdistan

Turkey continues its military actions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in violation of international law

On Monday, Turkish fighter jets bombed the village of Welatjêryan (also Wilatjêrî) in Barzan, north of Hewlêr (Erbil). A slightly higher mountain was struck, but the residential areas in the valley can be reached by a short hike. Information about casualties or the extent of the destruction caused by the attack was not immediately available.

Barzan is a larger village that administratively belongs to the Hewlêr governorate. It is located about 20 kilometres from the Turkish border at an altitude of about 700 metres. The village belongs to the district of Mêrgesor.

The Turkish government is bombing targets in South Kurdistan almost daily. It is not only areas where the guerrillas are suspected that are attacked. Civilian settlement areas are also systematically bombed. Nevertheless, the airspace controlled by the USA and Iraq remains free for Turkish warplanes.

On 1 February, simultaneous air strikes by Turkey on the Yazidi heartland of Shengal and the Maxmur refugee camp in Iraq and Dêrik in Western Kurdistan killed nine people. Dozens more were injured, some of them seriously. The international community remains silent in the face of these war crimes committed by the Turkish state.

[Anthea]

Turkey bombards Kurdish villages AGAIN

On Sunday Turkish, warplanes continued to heavily bombard areas in northern Duhok province under the pretext of targeting Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters

At least six Turkish warplanes bombarded suspected PKK bases and fighters in Kurazhar Mountain near the town of Shiladze, locals told Rudaw while sending videos of the jets flying over the town.

The PKK early Monday claimed that "tens" of Turkish helicopters targeted the PKK entrenched Zap area as Ankara attempts "to land its troops there," reported media affiliated to the armed group Roj News, adding that the helicopters are flying from bases within the Kurdistan Region.

Turkish state media on Monday said Turkey "launched a fresh cross-border operation along with air, special forces elements" against PKK hideouts in the Kurdistan Region.

In a number of submitted videos to Rudaw, children can be heard playing in the background, their joyous voices mixing with the sound of warplanes.

Earlier in the day, Ankara targeted Deraluk, Shiladze, and Kani Masi sub-district, Amedi’s mayor Warshin Salman told Rudaw’s Nasir Ali, who noted that Sunday “marks the third week of Turkey’s heavy bombardment on the area."

Turkey has escalated its offenses on the Kurdistan Region, as it nears to mark its one-year anniversary since the announcement of the twin operations Claw-Lightning and Claw-Thunderbolt in Duhok.

There have been no reports of casualties in the recent bombings, which also come after Kurdistan Region's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Friday.

However, Salman noted that the extent of damages caused by the bombardments have not been estimated as the villages being targeted have been evacuated due to fear of Turkish shelling.

Turkey bombarded Sararo village in Kani Masi early Friday. The shelling left a hole in Radwan Ahmed’s house, who had abandoned the site a year ago due to Turkey’s operations and was only visiting to see the damage.

Ankara launched the twin against the PKK, an armed group fighting for greater rights for Kurds in Turkey, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization

More than 500 villages have been emptied in the Kurdistan Region over three decades of the Turkey-PKK conflict.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/170420221

[Anthea]

Turkish mafias' theft of Syrian antiquities

Al Mayadeen Net sources in Idlib have indicated that all famous archaeological sites in the governorate were subjected to vandalism, excavations, and theft by armed groups

Idlib Governorate contains about a third of the Syrian antiquities and is home to more than 1,000 archaeological sites; more than 700 of them and about 40 archaeological villages are registered on the World Heritage List.

These sites have been greatly damaged by several attacks, and they were subjected to excavations and looting, turning into a source of funding for the armed groups controlling the area, especially Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham.

Al Mayadeen Net is reporting about the activities of the Turkish mafias in Idlib Governorate, such as drug dealing, human and organs trafficking, as well as antiquities theft.
Archaeological sites in Syria looted on an astonishing scale

The Turkish mafias have turned archaeological areas in Syria into a source of excavation, theft, and sale of antiquities in the global market.

At a 2015 conference held in Bulgaria to discuss ways to confront the looting of Syrian antiquities, the director of the United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, pointed out that archaeological sites in Syria are being looted on an astonishing scale.

Al Mayadeen Net sources in Idlib indicated that all the famous archaeological sites in the governorate, especially in Jabal Al-Zawiya, were subjected to vandalism, excavations, and theft by armed groups.

In addition to excavations near the ancient town of Sarmada and the theft of some columns using cranes, the militants turned some ancient tombs in the town into weapons and ammunition storage.

The militants also deployed guard points and raised earthen mounds in the surroundings of the archaeological sites. All archaeological monuments disappeared as a result of the excavations and sabotage activities.

The sources indicated that the mafias started excavation work with the help of international experts brought in through Turkey, as several trucks transported large paintings that were discovered near Sarmada.

It indicated that the mafias offer a lot of money in exchange for individual excavations carried out by some of the residents of those areas, including militants affiliated with Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham.

This was documented by activists who were within the areas of influence of armed groups. A radical shift was noted in the economic situation of hundreds of antiquities excavators after selling archeological findings to mediators working for mafias for a minimum of $2,000 and sometimes more depending on the age of the artifact.

Price of stolen ancient statues ranges between $10,000 & $100,000

The activists quoted an antiquities dealer in Idlib as saying that the price of the ancient statues stolen by mafias ranges between $10,000 and $100,000, while the price of one Romanian currency is about $1,000.

The smuggled antiquities are smuggled to Turkey through the crossings of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, in exchange for obtaining 5% of the value of each antiquity.

Turkish army & its agents sabotaged archaeological sites

More than a year ago, the Director-General of Antiquities and Museums in Syria, Mahmoud Hammoud, told Sputnik that Syria has documents proving that the Turkish army and its agents have sabotaged archaeological sites, excavated and destroyed them, and looted their contents.

Hammoud noted that the Turkish authorities confiscated more than 30,000 pieces and refused to return them to the Syrian government, despite Syrian complaints to the relevant international institutions and organizations in this regard.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/art ... heft-of-sy

[Anthea]

Why now?

Turkey’s fresh military campaign against the PKK in Duhok

Turkey launched its first military operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the newly-established autonomous Kurdistan Region in the fall of 1992 with the involvement of thousands of troops, hoping to remove the Kurdish rebels on its borders with Iraq and Iran.

Three decades on, Ankara launched the latest phase of its Operation Claw against the group in the Region last week. Some questions that emerge are why is the Turkish army conducting a fresh campaign now? And what can it change on the ground?

The PKK was formed in 1978, stating its goal of obtaining increased political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. It spent the first six years fighting other Turkey-based Kurdish political parties, to pave the way for its dream of leading the Kurdish movement in the country.

In 1984, the PKK began its armed struggle against Ankara inside the country while boosting its camps in what is now the Kurdistan Region, following an agreement with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

Turkey’s first military operation targeted the PKK positions in the Khakurk region on its borders with the Kurdistan Region and Iran, as well as in surrounding areas. Turkey had previously carried out attacks against the group in the Region, but not in the form of a long lasting operation.

Three decades on, Turkey has been able to curb the rebels’ activities at home and the use of drones, and other sophisticated military technology in their attacks, has significantly limited the PKK’s capabilities on the battlefield.

Despite Turkey’s military superiority, the group is still perceived as a threat by Ankara which frequently targets them and their alleged Syrian branch, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) - the backbone of the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Ankara launched Operation Claw against the PKK in Khakurk in May 2019. This was followed by Operation Claw-Tiger in June 2020. The third edition of the offensive was a ground and air cross-border operation, dubbed Operation Claw-Lightning and Operation Claw-Thunderbolt, launched in April 2021. All of these operations focused on the PKK’s positions in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province.

The latest edition of the offensive, dubbed Operation Claw-Lock, was announced on Monday, targeting PKK hideouts in the same province. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed on Wednesday that “soon there will not be a place called Qandil,” referring to a mountain on Kurdistan Region’s border with Iran where the PKK headquarters is located.

Murat Karayilan, a top PKK commander, was quoted by the group’s media on Thursday as saying that their current fight with the Turkish army is one of “survival”, and that, “we have confidence in ourselves, we will be victorious.”

Why now?

The latest military operation is carried out at a time when the world is occupied with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has surged fuel and food prices in the world. On one hand, Turkey is mediating talks between both sides, and on the other hand it seeks a deal with Erbil to export its natural gas to Europe where there is a desperate need for alternatives to Russian natural gas.

Erdogan is facing economic and political challenges at home and such military operations are often seen as a means to distract the public from the internal issues. The anti-PKK operations are strongly hailed by nationalist Turks and Turkey is expected to hold general elections next year.

Most of the opposition parties have recently joined forces to end Erdogan’s decades-long rule in 2023, and the President has to please his far-right ally, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), through such military campaigns to remain in power.

Private sector security analyst Alex Almeida believes that the fresh operation is just the latest edition of the annual “Claw” campaigns.

“The Turkish military traditionally undertakes a major cross-border offensive during the spring to preempt PKK infiltration into Turkey. This operation is the latest in the series of Operation ‘Claw’ annual offensives that began in 2019. Like the other recent cross-border offensives, the aim is to consolidate a Turkish-garrisoned buffer zone inside the Kurdistan Region, pushing the PKK back from the border and reducing their infiltration into Turkey,” Almeida told Rudaw English via email on Wednesday.

However, a Kurdish politician who used to be close friends with the PKK’s jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan decades ago, said that Turkey’s latest operation is a preparation for its alleged full-scale operation, expected to commence in 2023, to regain control of Iraqi land which used to be part of the Ottoman Empire.

“I believe this operation is a preparation for the [potential] extensive operation announced by Turkey’s president, defence minister and intelligence head who say that the Treaty of Lausanne and Sykes-Picot Agreement will end in 2023. Therefore, they are planning an extensive attack to invade Kurdistan, beginning from Mosul to Kirkuk,” Mohammed Amin Penjwini told Rudaw English on Wednesday.

The Treaty of Lausanne was signed in 1923 between the Ottoman Empire and Western allies, recognizing the boundaries of modern Turkey. The allies had initially demanded autonomy for Turkey’s Kurds but later dropped their demand. The Sykes-Picot Agreement in 1916 laid down the foundation of today’s nation states in the Middle East but deprived the Kurds of their dream of an independent state.

Celebrating the 98th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, Erdogan said last year that Turkey is determined to enter 2023 as a “stronger, more independent, and more prosperous country economically, militarily, politically and diplomatically.”

Erdogan has previously criticised the treaty for leaving his country too small. His country’s involvement in conflicts of the region, especially in Syria and Libya, is seen as an intention to regain control of areas which were under the control of Erdogan’s Ottoman ancestors.

“In Kirkuk, Turkey has established a military force from Turkmens to prepare them for the time when this attack kicks off so that they can control Kirkuk. Turkey is using the PKK as an excuse to control oil wells and the source of natural gas of Southern Kurdistan,” added the Kurdish veteran politician, referring to the Kurdistan Region and areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad.

Penjwini also believes that the operation is aimed at pressuring key actors who oppose the Kurdistan Region’s attempts to export its oil to Europe through Turkey to reconsider their decision, naming the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which controls almost half of the gas, as well as Baghdad, Tehran and Moscow.

Kurdish officials have expressed their readiness to export gas to Europe as it seeks alternatives to Russian gas due to its invasion of Ukraine. PM Masrour Barzani met with his British counterpart on Tuesday in London. “Prime Minister Barzani spoke about his aspiration to export energy to Europe, and the Prime Minister lauded his efforts to help reduce Western reliance on Russian oil and gas,” read a statement by Boris Johnson’s office.

Turkey said in 2020 that it had established nearly 40 military bases in the Kurdistan Region, publishing a map which showed their locations but it was soon deleted. Ankara set up further military bases in the Region later that year. Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), a human rights organisation which monitors Turkey’s operations in the Kurdistan Region, said on Wednesday that Turkey has “tried” to build five more bases in Duhok province.

Bilgay Duman, an analyst at Turkey’s pro-government ORSAM think tank, told Rudaw English via WhatsApp on Friday that the timing of the operation does not matter. According to Duman the fact that Ankara has used high military technology in the fight against the PKK after 2017 means that the operations can be carried out in any season.

What changes can the operation bring?

Duman also said that Turkey’s aims in the operation include the “eradication” of PKK fighters, believing that this will help Kurdish families in Duhok return to their villages which have been emptied due to the conflict.

Kurdistan Region’s top officials have often blamed the PKK for the displacement of villagers and their inability to return. Clashes between Ankara and the PKK in Duhok province have emptied hundreds of villages, according to official figures.

London-based Middle East Eye online news outlet cited an unnamed Turkish military source as saying that the aim of Operation Claw-Lock is to seize Zap area, the last remaining pathway for the PKK from the Kurdistan Region into Turkey.

“The operation’s objectives are pretty clear: destroying all the PKK camps in these areas and establishing bases, isolating the Turkish-Iraqi border,” the source said. “This will completely end PKK's infiltrations into Turkey.”

The PKK has announced the death of four of its fighters in Duhok since Monday, with three of them being killed in Zap - this could indicate the intensity of fighting there.

Adding the word “lock” to its latest operation could indicate that Turkey seeks to end its decades-long conflict with the PKK this time but the PKK has threatened to open the doors of war in Turkey’s metropolises like Istanbul if Ankara continues its operations.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/analysis/23042022

[Anthea]

Karayılan: every Kurd must do their part!

Karayılan remarked that they are only at the start of a historical struggle to be witnessed and stated, "The path of our people's existence, the path of their future, the path of our people's independence all pass through here. We will provide it at any cost. We believe in ourselves, and we will defeat this enemy."

Karayılan urged the people of Southern Kurdistan, in particular, not to abandon them in this process, as they had done in 2008, and urged all Kurds to "take risks and do whatever they can."

Karayılan, a member of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) Executive Committee, responded to ANF's questions about the Turkish state's offensive on the Medya Defense Zones, which began on April 17, and the KDP's cooperation.

The Turkish state launched a full attack on the Medya Defense Zones on the night of April 17th. What is the goal of this attack?

First of all, it should be noted that this attack is not an ordinary one. Since 2016, the Turkish state has been acting according to a new concept, based on a certain strategy. The aim of this strategy is that Turkey, in order to stop the struggle for freedom in Kurdistan, must not shrink but expand.

In this context, the state aimed to bring the areas within the borders of Misak-i Milli [Ottoman National Pact, which goes far beyond today's Turkey] under its control in the military, political, economic sense. At the same time, Iraq and Syria are not to be occupied directly, but brought under a kind of patronage. In this way, a neo-Ottoman program is to be implemented and Turkey is to be made the largest state in the region.

This is the core of the concept. On this basis, the Turkish state has been fighting us for a long time. It is attacking the Kurdish people not only on a military level, but also on a political, social and cultural level. The Turkish state has established a permanent state of emergency in order to destroy us.

As is known, in 2021, the Turkish state aimed to occupy the areas where the guerrillas are located in Southern Kurdistan, the Medya Defense Zones. So Gare was attacked surprisingly, while there was still snow. As is known, the Turkish army suffered a defeat there. Then there were extensive attacks on Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna.

The areas were to be occupied in order to advance from there to Gare and Qandil. This was supposed to happen within three months, but this plan did not work out. It was a defeat for the Turkish army. A few hills were taken in some areas, but the guerrillas put up great resistance and the Turkish army was defeated another time.

"They cannot digest the defeat of 2021"

We knew that the Turkish state would not digest this so easily. The fascist AKP/MHP regime must implement its strategy. It made that its central task. But the regime did not succeed and therefore it is heading towards collapse. Every day it is getting weaker. The government now has one more year to go and its existence is tied to the success of its strategy. That is why it has launched an even more comprehensive attack.

Of course, we knew about it. We are always watching the enemy. New forces were trained, soldiers were trained, and regional powers were prepared diplomatically and politically. International support was also provided so that no one would oppose it. In short, the Turkish state has made clandestine preparations in a broad framework, both diplomatically and militarily. It was within this framework that the April 17 attacks began.

"Not an operation, but a major war"

It would be more correct to say that the attack began on April 14. This is because air raids took place for three days before April 17. In military literature, this is called "softening up". For this purpose, air raids were carried out. Then, on the night of April 17-18, they attacked from the ground from the south and north.

Airdropping operations were conducted to launch a full-scale invasion attack. This is not an operation, but a major war. No state fights another so easily. Even in Ukraine, I don't think there are such fronts that there could be the development of such a permanent war. It is a big war.

The Turkish state has used its technology and chemical weapons before, but right now we see that it is putting even more emphasis on technology. You can see helicopters, fighter jets, reconnaissance planes flying at the same time, while ground attacks are taking place and howitzers are fired from the border outposts. In short, it is aimed at a permanent bombardment and an absolute occupation.

"It's going to get more intense"

But even the areas under attack are not just any areas. Zap and Avaşîn are sites of historic resistance. Our people and everyone should know that the war will get worse. The army has practically unlimited recourse to technology and wants to achieve results in this way. But our friends have enough experience. Especially in the past year, important experience has been gained in attacking the enemy from underground positions and in the field and protecting themselves.

This war will be of historic proportions.

We are at the beginning. We have written to the friends and congratulated them. The first days are very important in such processes. The friends have already been successful in these first days, for that we have congratulated them.

Of course, the enemy is waging a special war. So he claims that he took so many places, and only one captain died. But this does not correspond to reality. The enemy obviously puts the greatest emphasis on technology and propaganda in this war. He wants to deceive the public by hiding the truth and manipulating the perception in Turkish society.

For the fascist regime, it is an important war. It is about survival. If Erdoğan and Bahçeli lose this war, they will not only lose but also end up in prison. They are involved in corruption and so many crimes that they will not be spared from prosecution. That is why they have mobilized all of Turkey's resources. They have taken risks and done everything domestically and internationally to succeed. They continue to do so.

"A war of strategic importance for the Kurdish people"

This war is not only a war between the PKK and the Turkish state. To claim such a thing is a big mistake. This war is being waged on the basis of a strategy. It is true that the first target of this strategy is the PKK, but the PKK is not the only target. There are other targets. The aim is to destroy all the achievements of the Kurdish people.

After that, the AKP/MHP regime will be able to exert more influence on the Arab people and get them under control. As a result, the region will be dominated by Turkey. The Turkish state will not only take the mountains of Kurdistan, but also Hewlêr (Erbil) and Baghdad under its influence.

Yes, the PKK is certainly the first target, but it is just about all the achievements of the Kurdish people. Therefore, the war has a strategic meaning for the Kurdish people. It is a matter of being or not being for the Kurdish people.

"It is a matter of life and death"

Turkey's wealth has been consumed in the war. Most of the income goes to this war. Why are the people of Turkey starving today? Turkey is a rich country, but all the income has been secretly and openly diverted to the war. Now the rulers will be told, "You spent so much money on the war and still couldn't win."

Investigation proceedings will be launched. Therefore, in order to continue their rule and strengthen the hegemony of fascism in Kurdistan, the fascists Erdoğan and Bahçeli must succeed against us. This is very important for them. It is even more important for us. It is a matter of life and death.

It is important for our people, for the Arab people, for the people in the region. Turkey is pursuing neo-Ottoman dreams and not listening to anyone. This is not a secret plan. Every day they openly say about Kirkuk, "This was actually ours, but they took it from us."

The Turkish state has such intentions, otherwise what would the soldiers in Bashiqa be doing? Why are so many preparations being made regarding Kirkuk? It is clear that if this strategy holds, the Kurdish status will be destroyed. Because the KDP likes it, it is called the "Kurdish leadership." What is it leading?

The terms "Kurdish government of northern Iraq" or "prime minister of the Kurds in northern Iraq" are used. The Turkish state does not recognize Kurds at home or abroad. It does not recognize Kurdistan in any way. This is the truth. The Turkish state has organized itself on the basis of this concept and is waging war on this basis.

Our people should know, we consider this phase as an exceptional situation. It is the time of mobilization. Accordingly, everyone must do what they can. We are in a very important and critical phase. It is extremely delicate. We must break this wave of attack by the enemy.

If we succeed, a new era will begin in Kurdistan, Turkey and the region, a solution will develop, freedom and democracy will develop. In this sense, this is a resistance for democracy and freedom, it is the resistance of the Kurdish people for their existence, it is the resistance of the Kurdish people for freedom, it is the resistance of the peoples of the region for democracy.

Started well and I actually have a great deal of respect for Murat Karayılan

We celebrated the 50th Newroz [since the first moment of the Kurdish liberation movement]

Untrue, Kurds have been fighting and dying for freedom and Independence for 99 YEARS ever since the land was stolen and divided - never forget the bravest Kurdish leader ever - Qazi Muhammad - who actually remained in the city giving up his own life so that others could escape

As a continuation of this, we want 2022 to be the year of the great march with the soul of the Newroz fire and the heart of the Zap resistance. It should be the year of the freedom march.

In the Kurdish calendar it is 2722

Some years ago the PKK was tricked into moving most of it's armament / freedom fighters from within Turkish borders into the mountains - while South Kurdistan was supportive of the original and much smaller PKK contingent, it was far from happy to find itself harboring vast numbers of freedom fighters

The influx of PKK members caused parts of South Kurdistan to become targets for Turkey and force local inhabitants from their lands

South Kurdistan has worked hard to create a stable environment and has become important politically on the world stage - it has won more support for Kurds than any other part of Kurdistan

And YES in order to further promote peace within it's borders, it has NO option other than to collaborate with adjacent countries

Qazi Muhammad said STOP being each others enemies

[Anthea]

Turkey damaged Duhok forest

Around 50 square kilometers of woodland have been damaged in Duhok in 2021 due to the conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the head of Duhok’s forestry and agriculture directory told Rudaw on Wednesday, as he lamented the destruction of the Region’s forests

For years, Duhok has played host to the decades-long conflict between the PKK and Turkey in the Kurdistan Region, being the subject of constant bombardment and other offenses that have harmed Duhok, its people, and its environment greatly.

Kawa Sabri, head of Duhok’s forestry and agriculture directory, told Rudaw on Wednesday that some 18-20,000 dunams (between 45 and 50 square kilometers) of forest and over 1,200 dunams (three square kilometers) of agricultural fields in Duhok - from the Zakho border to Amedi - were damaged last year due to the continuous conflict. An Iraqi dunam is roughly 2,500 square meters.

On April 18, Turkey marked the start of a new military operation, dubbed Claw-Lock, which aims to target PKK hideouts and ammunition on Turkey’s border with the Region’s Duhok province.

Sabri noted that the damage to the land has also greatly affected the animals in the area, adding that people can no longer collect spring herbs, which used to be a major source of income for families in the past, because of the blemished nature of the land.

Discussing the estimated cost of the damages, Sabri told Rudaw that it was “immeasurable.” There were over 120 trees in each dunam, he added, and some of the woodland’s trees were over 100 years old. “We are very saddened by how this conflict has affected our area,” he added.

Turkey launched its first military operation against PKK in the newly-established autonomous Kurdistan Region in the fall of 1992 with the involvement of thousands of troops, hoping to remove the Kurdish rebels on its borders with Iraq and Iran.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/270420221

[Anthea]

Turkey shells more villages

After the killing of three militants of Al-Hamza Division in an unknown bombardment, the Turkish occupation forces launch artillery shelling on villages in Syria’s Aleppo countryside

Three militants of Al-Hamza Division, which is part of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army militia (SNA) previously known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA), have been killed in an attack on a checkpoint by unidentified gunmen in the town of Kemar.

It is worth mentioning that the town of Kemar is under the control of Turkey-led "Operation Olive Branch" in Afrin city, northwestern Syria.

The Turkish artillery shelled the villages of Tal Rifaat, Ain Digna, Sogonaka, Quneitra, Mayassa, and Burj Al-Qas, not to mention the villages of Shawargha, Mara’anaz, Malikiyah, and Alqamieh in the Sharan district in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

Furthermore, local sources reported that more than 200 artillery shells were fired at the aforementioned areas, but there were no reports about the extent of the damage caused by the bombing.

Last week, the Turkish government announced that it would cancel Eid Al-Fitr visits for Syrians, barring them from entering Turkey.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... -countrysi

[Anthea]

'Turkey wants to criminalize HDP
Wladimir van Wilgenburg

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on Wednesday said the recent wave of detentions against its members is part of Turkey's ultimate aim of closing the party

"As the Kobani case against the HDP continues, with its all-unlawful practices, another wave of detentions of HDP politicians has been carried out in connection with this case," Feleknas Uca and Hişyar Özsoy, co-spokespersons of the HDP's Foreign Affairs Commission, said in a statement. "In the face of all these scandalous practices, the government has made its next move against the HDP and launched a second wave of detentions."

"We have already underlined in our previous statements that there is a close link between the Kobani case and the closure case against the HDP, as the Chief Public Prosecutor of the closure case bases most of his accusations against the HDP on the Kobani protests," the statement added.

"The government wants to criminalize the HDP with fictional allegations, planning to use such accusations to close the party."

The so-called "Kobanî trial" was launched against HDP officials for their role in protests in support of the Syrian Kurdish city of Kobani when it was under siege by ISIS.

On Apr. 12, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued detention warrants against 91 people, including HDP party executives, mayors, municipal employees, former party members, and administrators.

At least 46 people were detained in many cities, including Mersin, Adana, Istanbul, Diyarbakir, and Urfa.

The HDP said the detainees were accused of "being involved in the financial organization of the Kobani incidents" and "providing financial assistance to PKK members who were killed or injured during the incidents."

Some of them were also charged with "being a member of a terrorist organization."

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/28 ... ns%27:-HDP