Yesterday, the Turkish state began a new invasion operation in South Kurdistan (Kurdistan Region of Iraq). The attacks are focussed on the region of Metina, in the Duhok Governate and reaching 40 km into Iraqi State territory.
During the latest local elections on 31 March in Turkey, the Kurds and democratic opposition expressed a clear “no” to Erdoğan’s AKP ruling party, which suffered a major defeat. As an authoritarian regime, Erdoğan pursues an aggressive domestic and foreign policy that is based primarily on militarism. This is mainly due to the fight against the Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. The result is an annual inflation rate of 68.50% and a socio-economic crisis in Turkey.
In order to maintain his power Erdoğan is waging a new war against the Kurds. Before travelling to Iraq today, Erdoğan put Iraq under immense pressure to allow him to carry out a new military cooperation. The intense diplomatic traffic between Ankara and Baghdad weeks before has the goal of greenlighting the occupation of Kurdish areas in northern Iraq and expanding Turkey’s areas of control. Launching the military operation one day before his visit to Baghdad is intentional. First, showing Iraq “I can do what I want’’. Second, imposing his Emirship, because he sees Iraq and Syria as a Neo Ottoman Vilayet. Third, making Iraq an accomplice. Fourth, legitimising internationally that this war is being carried out with Iraq’s approval. One of Erdoğan’s blackmail points against Iraq is the water issue, as Turkey uses dams to control the Euphrates River, which supplies Iraq with the water they need to survive. As a way out of the economic crisis, Erdoğan also wants to open the trade route from al Faw Port in Basra via Kurdish areas in Iraq and Turkey to Europe.
Erdoğan’s visit to the capital of South Kurdistan Hewler (Erbil) and meeting with leading KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) representatives is intended to show the public that he has no problem with the Kurds, but with a manipulation that disguises his true intention of attacking the PKK. At the 22nd General Assembly of KNK a call was made to the KDP based on Article 4 of the National Strategy Paper, which states: “All forms of cooperation of any Kurdish party or force with the invaders against the Kurdish interest should be condemned at the national level.” We therefore call on them to stop their cooperation with the Turkish regime.
Turkey’s war a threat to the whole region
Turkey’s foreign policy is increasingly focussed on profiting from deepening conflicts in the region and is a source of instability and chaos. Israel-Palestine, Iran-Israel, Armenia-Azerbaijan and also Turkey’s conflicts with Greece and Cyprus are just some examples. Deepening the already existing bi-polar confrontations in the Middle East will easily lead to a multi-polar conflict since all forces are interlinked through bilateral agreements.
The KNK welcomed the legitimate resistance struggle of the PKK guerrilla fighters against Turkish occupation at its General Assembly on 21-22 April and called on all Kurdish forces to protect united Southern Kurdistan and Rojava from Turkish invasion. The General Assembly also called on UN, EU, Council of Europe, OSCE, and NATO to stop Erdoğan’s expansionism at the cost of ethnic cleansing the Kurds. Surely the Kurds and others in the region deserve better, after they have defeated ISIS and become a source of peace and stability in the region.
Turkey’s failure to resolve the Kurdish question, will drive the country to a total bankruptcy. Instead of being accomplices to Turkey’s invasions, war crimes, and instability, a better alternative is to pressure Turkey to return to the negotiating table with the Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan, who was mediating a dialogue process between the PKK and the Erdoğan regime in 2013-2015. This process was welcomed internationally, and it would stabilise Turkey by resolving the Kurdish question. Therefore, first of all the Iraqi government, but also the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, and the Council of Europe must take immediate measures to prevent further bloodshed.
Commission on Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) 22 April, 2024
