STOP making Kurdistan a target for Turkish bombs

[Anthea]

Turkey bombs villages in Amadiya

The Turkish state continues its genocidal attacks against the Kurdish people and their lands in various parts of Kurdistan

Warplanes of the occupying Turkish state bombed the Sêgîrê village, Guherz hill, Sefih region and Metîna mountain in Amadiya in the countryside of Duhok governorate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq (KRI) in the evening hours today.

No clear information about the damage caused by the bombardment was obtained.

According to the information obtained, the gardens of many citizens living in the vicinity of Amadiya were damaged as a result of the bombardment.

Attacks by Turkey that violate international law have been routine in Southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) for years. The Turkish air force bombs the territory of the KRI and Iraq on an almost daily basis, especially where guerrillas are suspected.

Civilian settlement areas are also regularly attacked by the Turkish army, including the Yazidi settlement area of Shengal and the Maxmur refugee camp. With its aerial terror, Ankara is pursuing a targeted policy of displacement - in particular by deliberately destroying civilian infrastructure.

[Anthea]

Unidentified Drone Strikes Village

An unidentified drone on Monday carried out an airstrike in a village located in the Chamchamal district of Sulaymaniyah province, targeting an area known for the presence of members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)

In the early hours of the first day of the new year in 2024, an unidentified drone conducted an airstrike on the village of Chenartu in the Aghjaler district, BasNews has learnt. This marks the second airstrike on the same village within a week, as a similar incident occurred last Thursday with no reported casualties.

The longstanding conflict between Turkey and the PKK has had a profound impact on daily life in the Kurdistan Region. Ongoing clashes and bombings have resulted in numerous civilian casualties, prompting the evacuation of thousands of villages and abandonment of thousands of acres of agricultural land

In a similar incident last Wednesday, a suspected Turkish drone executed a strike on Tutaqalli village in the Chamchamal district, where several Kurdistan Workers’ Party fighters were reportedly killed.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/834945

PKK belongs inside Turkish borders NOT destroying Southern Kurdistan

[Anthea]

Neutralized Another Senior PKK Fighter

Turkey's National Intelligence Organization on Tuesday announced the 'neutralization' of a senior member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Sulaymaniyah city

"Turkish intelligence has neutralized Abdulmutalip Dogruci, a senior PKK terrorist in northern Iraq," state media Anadolu Agency reported today, citing security sources.

The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) located the terrorist codenamed Cesur Vedat, in the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah. It was determined that Dogruci had been assigned by the PKK terrorist group to organize and supervise drug trafficking activities in the Sulaymaniyah countryside."

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply actions like killing or arresting in the context of the country's military operations against the PKK.

The decades-long conflict between Turkey and the PKK has greatly affected daily life in the Kurdistan Region, leading to ongoing clashes, bombings, and a substantial toll on civilian lives. It has also resulted in the evacuation of many villages and the abandonment of mountain resorts and agricultural areas.

In late December, Turkish National Intelligence Organization announced its forces "neutralized" another senior fighter of the PKK in Sulaymaniyah city, Mehmet Sefa Akman, codenamed Bahoz Zagros.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/835066

drug trafficking SHAME ON THE PKK

PKK belong inside Turkish borders where it had more space to hide in also it received a great deal of RESPECT and SUPPORT from the Kurdish population as they were the brave FREEDOM FIGHTERS fighting for KURDISH FREEDOM

[Anthea]

Turkey-PKK Clashes in Duhok

Clashes broke out on Saturday between Turkish forces and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters, causing material damage to civilian property in Duhok province

Eyewitnesses speaking to the Shafaq News Agency reported that a resident's vehicle in Mirstek village was hit during the conflict; However, no casualties were reported.

This marked the third incident within 24 hours, leading to collateral damage to village properties, including houses.

Furthermore, suspected Turkish drones targeted areas in the Qandil Mountains in the same evening, striking Qasre in Erbil Province and Zharawa in Sulaymaniyah Province.

Duhok province in the Kurdistan Region has long been a conflict zone between the Turkish army and PKK fighters, resulting in significant material damage and the evacuation of residents from affected areas.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/835512

[Anthea]

Turkey destroys 29 PKK targets

Turkey routinely conducts operations against sites in Syria and Iraq believed to be linked to the PKK

Turkey reportedly carried out air operations, destroying 29 targets affiliated with the PKK in northern Iraq and Syria, as stated by the Turkish National Defense Ministry.

According to a statement from the Turkish National Defense Ministry, air operations were conducted against targets in Iraq's Metina, Hakurk, Gara, and Qandil regions, as well as in northern Syria.

This comes one day after a PKK attack in northern Iraq that claimed the lives of nine Turkish soldiers. In response to the developing situation, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to lead a security meeting in Istanbul on Saturday.

The meeting will be attended by key figures, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Chief of General Staff Metin Gurak, and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalin.

A flashback

On November 20, 2022, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced that Turkey launched the "Operation Claw-Sword" offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and Syria.

At the time, the Turkish Defense Ministry claimed that the offensive was carried out in line with the right of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is committed to destroying the PKK "until its last militant is neutralized" and raised the possibility of conducting a ground operation at the time, blaming the Kurdish militants for the November attack that killed six people in Istanbul.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... operations

[Anthea]

Turkey's measures against PUK

for alleged PKK ties

ERBIL, Kurdistan - Turkey’s foreign minister on Tuesday said that Ankara will not hesitate to take “further measures” against the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) if it does not “change its supportive stance” towards the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan addressed parliament about Turkey’s recent military campaigns in the Kurdistan Region and Syria, which have escalated in recent days following a PKK attack which killed nine Turkish soldiers in the mountainous areas of the Region on Friday.

Fidan accused the PUK of having “opened up space in Sulaimani and its surroundings” to the PKK, which allowed the Kurdish group to “strengthen [its presence] in the area.”

Ankara has repeatedly accused PUK of having close ties to the PKK and has struck several targets in Sulaimani under this pretext. The Sulaimani-based party has rejected such claims.

“Despite our sanctions on Sulaimani, if the PUK does not change its supportive stance towards the PKK, we will not hesitate to take further measures,” Fidan said, citing recent incidents that took place in the Region as evidence of the “dimensions of the relations between the PUK and the PKK.”

In September, a drone strike targeted Arbat airport, 27 kilometers southeast of Sulaimani, killing three members of the PUK-affiliated Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG), and injuring three others. Turkey indirectly claimed responsibility for the attack by stating that PUK’s CTG was conducting a training exercise with YPG fighters at the time of the attack.

In March, a helicopter carrying SDF fighters to Sulaimani crashed in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province, claiming the lives of nine fighters. SDF later said in a statement that the crash was due to bad weather. Turkey considers the incident proof of PUK-PKK relations.

Ankara claims its attacks are carried out within the framework of self-defense and in accordance with international law. Turkish forces have increased their bombardment in the Kurdistan Region as well as in northeastern Syria (Rojava) where it has targeted key civilian infrastructure, and Fidan warned these would continue.

No distinction between Syria, Iraq

The foreign minister added that Ankara has “removed the distinction” between Iraq and Syria, warning it would target Kurdish groups in both countries in retaliation to an attack on Turkey.

“No matter where the attack comes from, we target the groups in both areas at the same time,” Fidan warned.

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, who accompanied Fidan to the Turkish parliament, told Turkish lawmakers that Turkey has established a “safety line approximately 15 to 30 kilometers deep” into the Kurdistan Region, 300 kilometers along the Region’s border with Turkey.

Fidan said that Ankara did not face any objection from Iraqi officials regarding the recent operation within the borders of the Kurdistan Region, stressing that “the government of [Mohammed Shia’] al-Sudani has shown a more constructive stance” regarding what he described as “fighting terrorism.”

In December, a high-level Iraqi delegation headed by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein visited Ankara and met with Turkish officials to discuss “several topics including strengthening security and intelligence cooperation.”

Turkey regularly bombards suspected PKK positions in the Kurdistan Region’s mountainous areas through air and drone strikes.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/160120241

[Anthea]

Condemning PKK's Attack on Peshmerga

Kurdistan’s Ministry of Interior has strongly condemned the misrepresentation and destructive attempts made by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The ministry refuted claims made by PKK-affiliated media, shedding light on an incident in Duhok provinc.

According to the statement, the PKK-affiliated media falsely portrayed an attack by Peshmerga forces in the Amedi region. The Ministry clarified that on the afternoon of January 24, PKK fighters, located tens of kilometers away from the Turkish border in the Amedi region, launched an “unprovoked” attack on a checkpoint manned by Peshmerga forces.

“Subsequently, they targeted the same checkpoint with missiles. The Zeravani Peshmerga forces effectively defended themselves from their positions,” the statement added.

It emphasized that this “aggressive” act by PKK fighters is part of a series of attacks and “destructive actions” with the aim of undermining the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region. These actions, the statement continued, have become integral to a broader regional conspiracy against the foundational structure of the Kurdistan Region.

The Ministry of Interior asserted that the Kurdistan Region will not serve as a battleground for resolving regional conflicts. While endorsing all efforts and peaceful measures to address issues and establish peace and stability, the ministry emphasized the Region’s right to defend its forces and vehemently opposed any attempt to target them.

The PKK has bases across the border areas of the Kurdistan Region. In addition to drawing the Turkish army into the Region, it has posed a threat to Peshmerga forces numerous times in the past.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/837455

PKK freedom fighters were tricked into leaving Turkey and it is time they returned

[Anthea]

Turkish warplanes bomb Duhok’s Shiladze

Turkish warplanes on Wednesday bombarded the slopes of Mount Kurazhar, approximately two kilometers away from the center of Duhok’s Shiladze district, spreading panic among nearby residents

Locals of the district told Rudaw that clashes between Turkish forces and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) had been ongoing since 11:00 pm Tuesday, and continued until the Turkish forces began bombarding the mountain at around 9:30 am Wednesday.

Several artillery shells reportedly fell near residential areas, causing fear and panic among the locals

There have been no reports of casualties or material damage as of the writing of this article.

This winter has been a violent one in the decades-long conflict between the PKK and Turkey.

Tensions have escalated between Turkish forces and the PKK in Shiladze and Deralok in recent weeks. Clashes between the two sides forced the residents of four Deralok villages to evacuate out of fear for their lives

Turkey sent its army back into northern Duhok province in April of last year, launching Operation Claw-Lock with the goal of targeting PKK positions in Metina, Zap, Avashin, and Basyan areas. The operation, according to Ankara, aims to remove the PKK from the border area and cut off its access to Turkey.

In addition to having recently upped its attacks against the PKK in the Kurdistan Region, Turkey has also intensified its targeting of Kurdish fighters in northern Syria due to their alleged ties with the PKK.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/240120242

[Anthea]

Airstrikes destroy house in Sulaimani

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A suspected Turkish airstrike destroyed a house in the northern Sulaimani province’s Mawat area without causing any causality, Kurdistan24 has learned

The airstrike, which has not been officially claimed by Turkey, destroyed the house on Sunday overnight, whose household members were not present during the attack, kurdistan24 has learned. No causality has been recorded.

The rural house is located in Galala village in the Mawat area.

Turkey has previously targeted the area, alleging it targets the positions of its arch-foe Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the area.

Ankara has intensified attacks against the group in both Iraq and Syria after two PKK militants attacked a Turkish internal security organization on October 3.

In northeastern Syria, the strikes had focused on energy and power infrastructure in a bid to weaken the ruling Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers as the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

In addition to drone strikes, which have witnessed an increase due to the country’s advanced drone-making industry, Ankara has launched several ground operations against militants in the Kurdistan Region’s mountainous areas since 2021.

Having been engaged in an armed conflict since the mid-1980s, tens of thousands have been killed from both sides.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33 ... -Sulaimani

NOTE: Turkey has been killing Kurds for 100 years NOT just since the mid-80s

Turkey may not have killed anyone in this, the most recent attack but it has caused a great deal of FEAR within the local Kurdish community

[Anthea]

Kurdistan Not for Dispute Resolution

Kurdistan Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed has urged neighboring countries to refrain from using the Region to resolve their disputes, especially the conflict between the Turkish army and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)

The Kurdish official on Wednesday held a meeting with Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler to discuss various topics. Following the meeting, Ahmed told reporters, "In our meeting with the Turkish Defense Minister, we called for an end to attacks on the Kurdistan Region and urged against using it as a venue for resolving external issues."

The Kurdish official noted that Turkish Defense Minister Güler, during his visit to Baghdad, discussed coordination and relations between Iraq and Turkey to further develop and have better stability on their borders.

Earlier in the day, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani received Güler. The meeting discussed the general situation in Iraq and the development of bilateral relations. They stressed the importance of continuing coordination and joint cooperation for the sake of security and stability in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the wider region.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/838857

[Anthea]

PKK Force Village Evictions in Sulaymaniyah

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has been attempting to displace the residents of a village in Sulaymaniyah's Mawat district, a local official said

"Since the onset of 2024, this border has suffered three bombings. In one instance, flying debris from a blast damaged a villager's house roof, further escalating the risk to Galala village residents, prompting some to leave," Mawat's district governor, Kamran Hassan, told BasNews.

Currently, villages like Qamish, Safra, and Galala in Sharbazher are under imminent threat of bombardment. It's evident that PKK presence is concentrated in Galala village and Mount Assos, but not in others."

Hassan highlighted that urgent measures are needed to prevent further incursions along this border and protect their residents.

He added that since October 2017, sporadic border bombings have been ongoing, resulting in the tragic death of one person and injuring two others in 2022 when locals ventured into the mountains for autumn harvest.

According to information obtained by BasNews, the PKK strategically positions its fighters near Galala village borders and openly displays presence in fields, deliberately exposing civilians to Turkish attacks. Their ultimate goal is to compel villagers to abandon their homes, facilitating PKK's use of the village as a future training and armed stronghold.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/838832

[Anthea]

Turkey Killed 4 PKK Members

The Turkish Defense Ministry claimed on Friday that the country’s forces had "neutralized" four members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the border areas of Kurdistan

“Four PKK terrorists detected in the Claw-Lock Operation zone in northern Iraq neutralized," the ministry stated, as cited by the state-run media outlet Anadolu Agency.

The ministry emphasized that operations against the PKK will continue until “no terrorist is left”.

The term "neutralize" is used by Turkish authorities to indicate that the PKK members in question were either killed or arrested.

In a related statement, the defense ministry claimed the "neutralization" of a senior female member of the PKK during an operation conducted in the Kurdish city of Qamishlo in Syria.

According to Anadolu, Fatima Sakena, also known as Sorkhun Rojhelati, joined the PKK in 2006 in Rojava and actively engaged in armed activities, notably in Şırnak in 2010 and 2012.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/839775

[Anthea]

Turkey attacked Kurdistan 1,500+ times

Kamaran Osman, a member of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), a human rights organization that monitors Turkey's operations in the Kurdistan Region, told Rudaw’s Soran Hussein that the Turkish army attacked Kurdistan 1,548 times in 2023

He specified that the province that witnessed most Turkish attacks was Duhok which was struck 517 times, followed by Erbil province with 475 strikes, Sulaimani with 420 strikes, and Nineveh with 36 attacks.

According to CPT data, Ankara has killed at least 152 people and injured 228 since 2015.

Osman said that since 1990, about 850 civilians have been killed by Turkish and Iranian airstrikes, with Ankara being behind the majority of the strikes.

Turkey frequently bombards the northern mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region under the pretext of targeting Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters.

On Tuesday, Turkish warplanes targeted the abandoned Kafia village in Akre district, hitting four villagers who were tending to their farms in the vicinity of the area and killing two, according to their families who spoke to Rudaw.

“The strike was carried out by a Turkish warplane,” Sarbast Sabri, mayor of Dinara subdistrict where Kafia is located, told Rudaw’s Hunar Rashid.

The strike comes amid an escalation of violence between Turkey and the PKK after the armed group killed 12 soldiers in the Kurdistan Region in late December, triggering an intensification of retaliatory attacks by Ankara on the PKK and its alleged offshoots in Syria.

At least seven Turkish soldiers have been confirmed dead in the Kurdistan Region since the beginning of the year, according to the Turkish defense ministry.

Civilians are often caught in the crossfire of the conflict between Turkey and the PKK. Many families have been forced to flee their homes in the Kurdistan Region's villages because of clashes, especially those in northern Duhok province near the border with Turkey, leaving entire villages empty.

A Kurdistan Region parliamentary report published in 2020 said that the Turkey-PKK conflict has left over 500 villages empty across the Region.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/21022024

[Anthea]

Turkey killed 4 PKK members in Kurdistan

Turkey's National Defense Ministry on Sunday claimed that four fighters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were “neutralized” in the border areas of the Kurdistan Region

The operation targeted the PKK members in Gara region, state media Anadolu Agency cited a statement by the ministry, without providing further details in this regard.

The term "neutralized" is used by Turkish authorities to indicate that the individuals were either killed or arrested.

The PKK establishes its bases in the rugged and isolated mountainous terrains of the Kurdistan Region. These areas frequently experience Turkish airstrikes and artillery assaults, resulting in unintended harm to civilians, village displacements, and agricultural land damage.

In December, Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler stated that more than 2,000 Kurdistan Workers' Party members had been 'neutralized' in 2023.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/840619

PKK belongs inside Turkish borders NOT inside Kurdistan making it a target for Turkish bombers / troops

[Anthea]

Turkish Drone Targets YBŞ Units

A Turkish drone targeted the Resistance Units (YBŞ) affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Kalar on Friday killing one fighter, according to the Garmian Police spokesperson

This incident follows a similar attack on Thursday, where a Turkish drone targeted a vehicle belonging to the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ) on the road between Sinjar and Giruzer. Preliminary reports indicate that two YBŞ fighters were killed, with another wounded in the attack.

Additionally, on February 20, a Turkish warplane airstrike on a village in the Dinarta subdistrict of Duhok's Akre district resulted in the deaths of two individuals, with one person sustaining injuries.

Since 2021, Turkey has conducted several large-scale ground operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party in the mountainous regions of the Kurdistan Region. The conflict, which has spanned decades, has seen thousands of casualties on both sides, including civilians.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/841149