Turkey Attacking Civilians in Southern Kurdistan – Call from the Kurdistan National Congress to the The United Nations, The Arab League, The Iraqi Council of Representatives
In less than a month, Turkey has launched several drones and airstrikes on parts of Southern Kurdistan, targeting civilians. On August 23rd, two journalists were killed while performing their duties. On September 3rd, Turkish drones attacked the Bradost region, killing a shepherd. Then, on September 5th, a car in Chwarta was targeted, resulting in the death of a father and his three sons, including an ill child. On September 10th, an attack on the Makhmur Refugee Camp injured three women. On September 14th, the village of Galala near Mawat was also struck, though the full extent of the damage is yet to be determined.
Following an agreement between Iraq and Turkey on August 15, 2024, Turkey has dangerously escalated its role in these attacks, particularly against civilians. Turkey’s goal seems to dismantle the progress made in the Kurdistan region. Although an agreement between President Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani was finalised, we, along with the Iraqi people, are disillusioned with the country’s direction. Since March, Turkish forces have advanced 45 kilometres into Southern Kurdistan’s Regional Government’s (KRG) territory, violating Iraq’s sovereignty and breaching international law. Turkish soldiers now exert control in areas such as Duhok, Amedi, and Bamarni, conducting stop-and-search operations on locals, essentially acting as the governing authority.
According to Iraq’s constitution, it is the responsibility of the Iraqi state to protect its borders, including the KRG region. If the civilians living within the KRG are Iraqi citizens, the government’s failure to defend them from Turkish aggression is shameful. No state should tolerate the killing of its citizens by a foreign power without acting. Yet, Iraq is complicit in Turkey’s plans, which clearly oppose Kurdish interests. Moreover, Iraq has cooperated with Turkey in ways that further harm its own people. Turkey’s military has occupied parts of Iraq without parliamentary approval, and the Iraqi government has signed agreements that do not benefit its citizens. While Iraq turns a blind eye to Turkish incursions, it has banned some Kurdish political parties that are legally allowed to participate in the political process. This cooperation with Turkey against Kurdish interests is unacceptable.
The Kurdistan National Congress finds this behaviour intolerable and calls on international bodies representing the global community’s will to act. The continued silence of the United Nations, the Arab League, and Iraq’s Council of Representatives has emboldened Turkey to intensify its attacks. So far, neither the UN nor the Iraqi government has taken serious steps to counter these actions. Urgent measures are needed to curb Turkey’s attacks on civilians and prevent further territorial invasion.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s attempt to build a new Ottoman state and his cooperation with jihadist groups are destroying the balance and stability of the region. Similarly, his approach of increasing violence on the Palestinian issue and the war between Israel and Hamas, as well as his efforts to turn the Iran-Israel conflict into a full-scale war, will not serve the Palestinian issue or peace in the region. In order to fulfil his dream of building a neo-Ottoman Empire by annexing a large part of the territory of Syria and Iraq, Erdoğan is using excuses such as border protection and national security to hide his aim of occupation. Against this position and the attacks of the Turkish state, the only force that is currently standing against this approach is the Kurds, that is why Turkey is making alliances and agreements against the Kurds in the region and using differences and political divisions to complete its approach to occupy the Kurdistan region of Iraq. It is clear that the Erdoğan government is trying to create a Cyprus-like situation in Iraq and this is causing serious instability and danger in the region.
Due to ongoing Turkish drone strikes, the lives of civilians are in immediate danger. The KRG, particularly the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and the Iraqi government seem to be collaborating with these invasions for their own gain. This lack of response from Iraq and the KRG has deeply unsettled the local population, especially those living in rural areas.
The agreement finalised on August 15 endangers both Iraqi sovereignty and the safety of its people. Another troubling aspect of the deal between the AKP-MHP, KDP, and the Iraqi government is Turkey’s occupation of the Badinan area, where thousands of ISIS remnants and extremists have resettled. Numerous villages have been emptied, creating fertile ground for terrorist groups to reorganise and launch future attacks. This is a serious threat not just to Iraq and the region but to the entire international community. The agreement facilitates the resurgence of ISIS in the KRG, altering the region’s demographic and destabilising Iraq as a whole.
We call on the United Nations, the Arab League, and international bodies to intervene and pressure Iraq to terminate this agreement and put an end to Turkey’s attacks.
The Executive Council of Kurdistan National Congress – KNK
23.09.2024
