TURKIYE INVADES KURDISTAN (IRAQ & SYRIA)

Kurdish village caught in crossfire as Turkish-PKK clashes spark massive wildfires

BARZANII CLAN AND THEIR PERSHMERGA GIVE PKK  NO SUPPORT

Shafaq News FROM TURKIYE

2024-07-11 

Shafaq News/ Violent clashes between Turkish forces and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Duhok's northern village of Sekiri have ignited huge wildfires, engulfing vast swathes of farmland and threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of villagers.

According to Nizar Mohammed, the mukhtar (village head) of Sekiri village in Duhok Governorate, artillery shelling from the surrounding conflict has triggered multiple fires, destroying hundreds of acres of mature trees and causing widespread panic among residents.

"The shelling has caused fear and terror among the villagers, who are now trapped between two difficult choices: either remain under the crossfire and continue trying to protect their remaining farmland from the the fires, or flee the village and leave everything behind," Mohammed told Shafaq News agency.

Compounding the villagers' plight is the limited access for firefighters to reach the affected areas due to the volatile security situation and the rugged terrain of the territory. The residents have been forced to deploy rudimentary firefighting methods in a desperate attempt to salvage their crops and homes.

"The people of the village are working day and night to extinguish the fires using primitive means," Mohammed explained.

Turkish operations in mountainous northern Iraq, which have been on and off for decades, have been expanded in recent years with soldiers on the ground backed by air strikes, drones and artillery.

In recent weeks, residents in Duhok said that Turkish forces have been patrolling and setting up checkpoints in new areas deep in the Iraqi territory.

Iraq has stepped up pressure on the PKK since a visit by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to Baghdad in April.

Late on Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani chaired a meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security and discussed "the interventions and violations by Turkish forces in the shared border areas", Iraqi military spokesman Maj Gen Yahya Rasool said.

Ankara sees the presence of the PKK in Iraq as a major national security threat and the group's presence is one of the biggest challenge to relations between Turkiye and Iraq.

Senior officials have vowed to create a "security corridor" up to 40km wide along the Iraqi and Syrian borders – a move, it says, is designed to prevent attacks by the PKK on Turkish soil.

Despite the protests from Baghdad, Ankara's military operations have continued in northern Iraq.

The PKK has been waging an insurgency against Turkiye since 1984, initially seeking an independent Kurdish state before changing its demands to an autonomous Kurdish region within Turkiye. About 40,000 people, many of them civilians, have been killed in the conflict.

The group has training camps and bases in the Iraqi Kurdistan region and is designated a terrorist group by the US and EU.

In March, Baghdad listed the PKK as a "banned organisation", and Ankara has called on the Iraqi government to do more in the fight against the militant group.

During a visit to Iraq in April, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke of "expectations" of Iraq in the fight against the PKK. Al-Sudani spoke of "bilateral security co-ordination" that would meet the needs of both countries.

However, Iraqi Defence Minister Thabet al-Abbasi in March ruled out joint operations between the two neighbors.

Ankara's operations against PKK fighters in Iraq and Syria have led to casualties not only among the fighters, but also civilians. Operations in Syria have also provoked anger in Washington, which has forces alongside Kurdish armed groups, a legacy from the war on ISIS.

The Iraqi Kurdish region has complicated relations with the PKK because its presence impedes trade relations with Turkiye.

Last week, Iraqi security forces announced the arrest of three suspects linked to PKK, accusing them of sabotage attacks.

PKK targets Turkish military vehicle in northern Duhok

2024-07-09 

Shafaq News/ A security source reported Tuesday that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targeted a Turkish military vehicle in the northern region of Duhok, Iraqi Kurdistan.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that the PKK used an improvised explosive device (IED) to attack the vehicle on the road between Kani village and the town of Dirluk, north of the governorate.

The vehicle caught fire, but there were no immediate reports on casualties or the extent of the damage.

The security situation in Duhok worsened in the last two days, with PKK intensifying its operations.

Earlier today, a Peshmerga fighter was wounded in a rocket attack launched by PKK militants near the village of Sikeri.

PKK also targeted a military site of the Turkish army in the Matin Mountain range in Al-Amadiya.

The presence of the Kurdistan Workers' Party in the governorate not only affected the security landscape, especially along the borders with Turkiye and Syria but also led to humanitarian consequences such as civilian displacement and fire outbreaks in farmers and agricultural lands.

On Monday, Kurdistan Region's Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed revealed ongoing communications between the Kurdish and Iraqi governments with Ankara regarding the Turkish incursion on the Iraqi territory.

Ahmed considered the presence of the PKK as "illegal," stressing that "we all believe that the PKK should leave these areas to avoid harming the residents."

In a TV interview, the Kurdish President, Nechirvan Barzani, said, "The (Kurdistan) Workers' Party is a severe headache for the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as well. They do not value the legitimacy of the Kurdistan Region's institutions and threaten Turkiye from our territories."

PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and the EU. Iraq considers it a "banned" organization.

Turkish airstrikes destroy homes in northern Duhok amid PKK conflict

2024-07-09 

Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, eyewitnesses in Duhok reported that several houses were damaged and burned in a village in the north of Duhok Governorate due to Turkish bombing.

Witnesses informed Shafaq News Agency, "Turkish fighter jets conducted raids on Mazi village, located at the foot of Kara Mountain overlooking Al-Amadiya district, north of Duhok."

"The airstrikes resulted in the destruction and burning of several homes that had been abandoned by the village's residents years ago due to the armed conflict between the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Turkish army," they reported.

Earlier today, PKK militants launched a rocket attack on a Peshmerga position in Al-Amadiya district, north of Duhok, which resulted in the injury of a Peshmerga fighter near the village of Sikeri.

In addition, a military site of the Turkish army in the Matin Mountain range in Al-Amadiya was targeted by the PKK.

In Duhok, the presence of the Kurdistan Workers' Party has profoundly influenced local dynamics. Known for its military engagements against Turkish forces and occasional clashes with the Peshmerga, the PKK has raised significant security concerns. These activities have not only affected the security landscape, especially along the borders with Turkiye and Syria but have also led to humanitarian consequences such as civilian displacement and fire outbreaks in farmers and agricultural lands.

PKK drone attack targets Turkish military point in Matin Mountain

2024-07-09 

Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, a security source reported that a military point of the Turkish army in the Matin Mountain range in Al-Amadiya district was attacked by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, “The PKK members used a drone in their attack, and the Turkish forces responded using several weapons,” noting that “the extent of the losses is not yet known.”

The Turkish army has established several new military outposts in the Matin Mountain range due to escalating confrontations with PKK in various areas of Al-Amadiya district, In Duhok Governorate.

The conflict between Turkiye and the PKK dates back to the early 1980s when the PKK, founded by Abdullah Öcalan, began advocating for an independent Kurdish state within Turkiye. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the conflict intensified, with the PKK engaging in guerrilla warfare and the Turkish military conducting large-scale operations against PKK bases, particularly in southeastern Turkiye and northern Iraq.

The early 2000s saw intermittent ceasefires and attempts at peace negotiations, including a notable peace process in 2013. However, this process collapsed in 2015, leading to renewed hostilities.

Turkish drone targets suspected PKK members in Sinjar; injuries reported

2024-07-08 

Shafaq News/ On Monday, a police source in Nineveh reported that three individuals, suspected to be members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), were injured in an airstrike believed to have been conducted by a Turkish drone in the Sinjar district.

The source informed Shafaq News Agency, stating, "The airstrike targeted a civilian car (Tucson) transporting three Yazidis, suspected to be PKK-affiliated, on the road between the Tal-Qasab complex and Sinjar district, west of Mosul."

"The injured were transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment, and it was not clear whether there were any deaths among them," he added.

The conflict between Turkiye and the PKK dates back to the early 1980s when the PKK, founded by Abdullah Öcalan, began advocating for an independent Kurdish state within Turkiye. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the conflict intensified, with the PKK engaging in guerrilla warfare and the Turkish military conducting large-scale operations against PKK bases, particularly in southeastern Turkiye and northern Iraq.

The early 2000s saw intermittent ceasefires and attempts at peace negotiations, including a notable peace process in 2013. However, this process collapsed in 2015, leading to renewed hostilities.

PKK is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union and recently a “banned” organization in Iraq.

Turkish artillery hits PKK targets, sparks fires in Duhok

2024-07-07 

Shafaq News/ A security source said that Turkish forces launched on Saturday artillery and warplane bombardment targeting sites of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Rashafa valley of the Dirluk district, north of Duhok Governorate.

The source stated to Shafaq News Agency that the bombing caused extensive material damage to residents’ farms and ignited widespread fires in the nearby forests. The fires continue to burn, and fire brigades have not yet been able to control them at the time of this report.

The conflict between Turkiye and the PKK dates back to the early 1980s when the PKK, founded by Abdullah Öcalan, began advocating for an independent Kurdish state within Turkiye. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the conflict intensified, with the PKK engaging in guerrilla warfare and the Turkish military conducting large-scale operations against PKK bases, particularly in southeastern Turkiye and northern Iraq.

The early 2000s saw intermittent ceasefires and attempts at peace negotiations, including a notable peace process in 2013. However, this process collapsed in 2015, leading to renewed hostilities.

PKK is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union and recently a “banned” organization in Iraq.

Tukriye establishes new military posts in northern Duhok, Iraqi Kurdistan

2024-07-07 

Shafaq News/ Turkish forces have set up new military positions in the north of Duhok governorate, within Iraq's Kurdistan region, amid ongoing operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a local source reported on Sunday.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, "Turkish forces established several new military posts in the Nahili area of Al-Amadiya district, between the Serkli and Rashafa valleys on the slopes of Matin Mountain." These positions are reportedly equipped with weapons, military vehicles, and machinery for road construction and base establishment.

Since 2019, Ankara has established several bases in the Duhok Governorate through informal agreements between Turkiye and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Informal figures suggest that Turkiye has a permanent deployment of 5,000 to 10,000 soldiers in Iraqi territory, where it has created a de facto secure zone and moved the armed struggle onto Iraqi soil. It has also built roads in Iraq to connect its military bases and achieve more effective area control. The last one was in February 2024, when Ankara said the road is to "streamline the movement of military and logistical supplies to its bases in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq."

In 2022, Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army Abdel Emir Yarallah exposed the extent of Turkiye's military presence in Iraq, revealing that it operates five bases in the country.

Yarallah said, "The bases include more than 4,000 Turkish fighters." noting that Turkiye had 40 positions in Iraq in 2021, and the figure has since risen to 100, with many located just short distances from the Zakho, Al-Amadiya, and Duhok regions.

Iraq views Turkish airstrikes and bases as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. These operations commonly cause civilian casualties and damage infrastructure alongside the killing of PKK members.

The Iraqi government also worries that Turkish military presence in northern Iraq could destabilize the Region and empower Kurdish separatists within Iraq.

On the other hand, Turkiye expressed disappointment in the Iraqi government's historical "reluctance" to acknowledge and ban the PKK as a terrorist organization.

However, recent developments have signaled a shift in Iraq's stance.

Last March, Turkiye proposed the establishment of a "joint operation center" with Iraq to combat the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a move that has received a positive response from Baghdad.

The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

In late June, the U.S.-based organization Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) observed the entry of 300 Turkish tanks and armored vehicles into the Kurdistan region, establishing a security barrier within the Badinan area.

According to the CPT report, approximately 1,000 Turkish soldiers have been transported between the Turkish military bases, setting up a security checkpoint between the villages, allowing civilian passage only after identity verification.

The report indicated that Turkiye's new plan is to establish a security line stretching from Shiladze to Batifa, passing through Dirluk, Bamarni, and Bekova. All villages, towns, districts, sub-districts, valleys, and lands behind this line would be under Turkish military control, potentially turning these areas into conflict zones if clashes occur.

The report also suggested that another objective of this Turkish military movement is to reach Mount Haftanin in the Shiladze area and occupy the Gara mountain range, which would result in the Kurdistan Regional Government losing control over 70-75% of Duhok.

In response, Zeki Akturk, Press and Public Relations Advisor at the Turkish defense ministry stated that Turkish forces are working to enhance control in the Claw-Lock operation area along the border.

"We are developing control over the area achieved so far through the ongoing Claw-Lock operation in northern Iraq since April 2022, with extraordinary and unexpected operations in line with field requirements," he said in a press statement.

He added, "Turkish forces continue their activities to neutralize the PKK's operational capabilities, aiming to completely secure northern Iraq while taking effective and dynamic measures along the border."

Akturk noted that authorities established the checkpoints in residential areas near the Turkish operation zones in coordination with the Iraqi side.

Neither the Iraqi nor the Kurdish side commented on Akturk's statement.

Turkish drone attack in Kurdistan Region leaves two PKK members injured

2024-07-08 

Shafaq News/ On Monday, The Counter-Terrorism Service in the Kurdistan Region confirmed that two members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), were injured in a Turkish drone bombing that targeted a car transporting them on the road between the Tal-Qasab complex and Sinjar district, at 11:10 this morning.

The Service stated, "According to information, the car was carrying three people, and two of them were seriously injured."

A police source in Nineveh had informed Shafaq News Agency earlier today, "The airstrike targeted a civilian car (Tucson) transporting three Yazidis, suspected to be PKK-affiliated."

He added, "The car belongs to the Gara Tefi channel affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party," noting that "the injured were transferred to a nearby hospital to receive treatment, and it was not clear whether there were any deaths among them."

Turkiye has been involved in military operations in northern Iraq, targeting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The Turkish government has cited security concerns and the need to combat terrorism as the rationale for its military actions in Kurdistan.

These operations have involved airstrikes, artillery shelling, and ground incursions into Iraqi territory.

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye and several other countries, has been engaged in a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state, seeking greater autonomy for Kurds within Turkiye.

The Turkish shelling in Kurdistan has led to civilian casualties and displacement, exacerbating tensions in the region.

It has also raised concerns among Kurdish communities and international observers about the impact on civilian populations and the broader stability of the region.

RIGHT WING BARZANI FAMILY CONTROL IRAQI KURDISTAN BETRAYING THE PKK TO BOTH TURKEY AND IRAN

YJA Star: The PKK is the movement of hope for all peoples

Celebrating the foundation anniversary of the PKK, YJA Star Central said, "PKK is the movement of hope for all peoples. PKK is the name of insisting on remaining human. Being a PKK member is the definition of remaining honourable in the 21st century."

ANF
BEHDINAN
Sunday, 26 Nov 2023

The Central Headquarters Command of YJA Star (Free Women’s Troops) made a statement marking the 45th founding anniversary of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party).

The statement released by YJA Star Central Headquarters Command on Sunday includes the following:

"We welcome this 27th of November, the 46th anniversary of our party, which is also the 51st year of struggle of our Leader, with the great enthusiasm of the belief in victory in our positions where we have peaked our resistance. We greet with love, respect and great longing our Leader, who has carried us to this day, and we celebrate this day for our Leader, all our comrades resisting in prisons, the families of our martyrs, our patriotic people who are devoted to the PKK cause and the world humanity. We commemorate with respect and gratitude all our comrades from Haki Karer to Axîn Muş, Jîndar Rûmet Meyaser, Andok and Egîd Kobani, who have been eternalised in the Apoist sacrifice line, and we express our promise and determination to crown our resistance with victory as a requirement of loyalty to their memories.

'Our Party is the embodiment of the resurrection of a people'

Our Party, as the embodiment of the resurrection of a people, has been waging a great struggle for existence for nearly half a century. Today, the most intensified version of this is being waged in Zap, Hill Amediyê, Hill Cûdî, Şehit Pîrdoğan and in the four parts of Kurdistan. The pioneer of this unique resistance waged by the most valuable sons and daughters of our people is Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan). Since the first day he started his freedom march, Leader Apo has never for a moment compromised on the morality of freedom. This principled stance of Leader Apo has become a character in our people and today the PKK has reached a leadership that inspires the whole world.

Especially the participation of Kurdish women in the PKK movement from the very beginning, in the person of Sara and her likes, has turned the PKK into a women's party. In this sense, the women who united under the slogan 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî' (Woman, Life, Freedom) have set the most concrete example in the expression of this female essence of the PKK. As the party of the exploited, oppressed and ignored peoples, women and youth, the PKK has demonstrated that it is the most effective means of freedom by developing self-defence consciousness in all segments of society. And it is women who have embraced this the most. The women's self-defence forces organised as YPJ (Women’s Defense Units) and YJŞ (Shengal Women’s Units) from Rojava to Shengal are the visible expression of this. The YJA Star, which has been fighting in the mountains for more than 30 years as the most effective means of freedom, is the monument of honour of the woman who came to life in the PKK. Women who deeply felt the fact that those who could not realise their self-defence would be condemned to slavery, that is, extinction, united in the PKK, became PAJK and YJA Star, and succeeded in transforming the historical defeat of women into victory. In this context, the PKK is the party of women's victory. The PKK is the main living space where women's greatest gains have been realised. The woman who realised her rebirth in the PKK is the birth of a new society, and thus of a new life. The woman who gains willpower in the PKK is the society that gains willpower and fights for its freedom. The PKK is the party of our people, women and all humanity. The PKK is the only alternative of the reality of free life in which the new life is embodied.

The international conspiracy against our Leader, who created all these developments, was realised to prevent these developments. The main purpose of the insistence on the absolute isolation of our leader is to completely sever our leader's ties with our movement, the people and women, and to erase our leader, who creates continuous development, from the social memory. However, these efforts have been frustrated for 25 years in the person of our Leader. With his 'breathless' resistance, our leader has shown everyone, especially us militants, how to frustrate the conspiracy. In this context, our attitude towards the immoral war against the paradigm of democratic modernity in the person of the guerrilla is to resist to the end with the strength we take from our leader. The compass of Leyla Sorxwîn, Axîn Muş, Destan Botan, Ardem Ararat and dozens of other martyred comrades has been the resistance attitude revealed in the stance of the Leader. Our basic reality that makes us fight is this stance put forward by our Leader and our martyrs.

'We call on everyone to be a soldier of the freedom dance'

As the militants of the leader and the successors of our martyrs, we are also in position, in action and in resistance. With the awareness that the PKK is a movement of labour and revenge, every day we hit colonialism right in the heart like Sara and Ruken, Rojhat and Erdal did. The most recent revolutionary operation action at Hill Amediye, in which 49 invaders were punished, is once again proof that the PKK militancy, advancing in the line of the Leader and martyrs, will sooner or later but surely defeat colonialism. In this sense, we believe that the insistence on the PKK militancy, which has been in resistance for 46 years and every moment of which is experienced breathlessly, will bring our people, women and humanity the free future they deserve, and we call on everyone who seeks freedom to be a soldier of the freedom dance around this glorious resistance.

With each passing day, the influence of the PKK is spreading, the injustice of the conspiracy against our Leader is being exposed, and the crime of genocide against our people is being understood. The participation from 74 countries of the world in the campaign launched with the slogan 'Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, Solution to the Kurdish Question' and the increasing efforts to remove the PKK from the terrorist list are linked to this reality. Everyone who meets with the PKK sees the rightness of the PKK's ideological, political and military line and agrees with this rightness. This level that the PKK has reached is a great achievement particularly for our people and for the entire world humanity. In this sense, the PKK is a stand against injustice, inequality and marginalisation. The PKK is the movement of hope for all peoples. PKK is the name of insisting on remaining human. Being a member of the PKK is the definition of remaining honourable in the 21st century. In this context, we once again salute our Leader, who has conduced to our resurrection with the PKK, and congratulate him once again on this sacred day. Our struggle will be based on claiming and protecting the PKK life created by our Leader until the end.

As YJA Star forces, we have reached the level to perform the most effective strike with the vast experience we have gained in the war. Our strength is professional, warrior and sacrificial. With this power and motivation, there is no task that we cannot accomplish, and we have the determination and ability to overcome all obstacles. In this sense, we welcome the coming year on the basis of the claim to embrace our gains, to expand them and to win victory. Our tasks for the period are clear and we are ready. We know that our people will embrace our glorious resistance in this process in which we are in resistance at every moment, and with the strength we receive from them, we are advancing towards our goals with unwavering determination. We welcome the process with the militant reality locked on victory and express our promise and determination to resist until the end. Victory will surely be for those who resist in the Apoist sacrifice line."

VDJ demands the lifting of the ban on the PKK in Germany

The Association of Democratic Lawyers demands the lifting of the ban on the PKK's activities that was issued in Germany thirty years ago, saying: "The criminalisation of the Kurdish opposition must come to an end."

ANF
NEWS DESK
Saturday, 4 Nov 2023

Thirty years ago, the then Federal Minister of the Interior, Manfred Kanther, banned the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from operating in Germany. This year, the "Lift the PKK ban" campaign has launched a series of lectures to draw attention to the democratic deficit of the PKK ban in Germany and to create a deeper awareness of the goals of the Kurdistan Workers' Party in society, which revolve around gender liberation, social ecology and grassroots democracy. There will also be a nationwide demonstration against the PKK ban in Berlin on 18 November. The whole of November has been declared a month of action against the PKK ban.

The Association of Democratic Lawyers (Vereinigung Demokratischer Juristinnen und Juristen, VDJ) issued the following statement supporting this demand:

“On 22 November 1993, the then German Minister of the Interior imposed a ban on the PKK's activities. This was followed by bans on numerous organisations and media that were accused of being part of the PKK structure. The PKK has been listed as a terrorist organisation by the EU since 2002. Since then, hundreds of Kurdish activists have been charged with violating these bans and with violating Sections 129a and 129b of the German Criminal Code, and some have been sentenced to long prison terms. The more far-reaching attempt to criminalise gatherings of Kurdish organisations in general has so far failed in the courts.

As early as 1993, the Federal Ministry of the Interior justified the repressive measures as follows: "The activities of the 'Kurdistan Workers' Party' (PKK), including its sub-organisations 'Kurdistan National Liberation Front' (ERNK), [...] violate criminal laws, are directed against the idea of international understanding, endanger internal security, public order and other significant interests of the Federal Republic of Germany."

Even at the time, there were considerable doubts as to whether the ban actually served German security interests or rather the political interests of the Turkish government. Although Abdullah Öcalan had already declared his renunciation of violence in 1995, nothing was done in Germany to pave the way back to legality.

In the meantime, even the Office for the Protection of the Constitution had to make the following qualifying statement in its 2022 report: "Although peaceful events and activities continue to take centre stage in Europe, violence remains a strategic option for the PKK ideology."

Instead of proven violence, violence has become a vague strategic option, a legally intangible presumption. There have therefore been repeated attempts to end the criminalisation of the PKK by legal and parliamentary means, and rightly so. A motion tabled by the parliamentary group of Die Linke in December 2014 demanded:

Initiation of political steps to lift the ban on activities under association law for the PKK and its affiliated organisations as well as associations and media close to it, ending all sanctions under immigration law, amnesty, revocation of criminal prosecution as a foreign terrorist organisation, initiative at EU level to remove the PKK from the terror list, continuation of peace talks between the Turkish government and the PKK.

The PKK has repeatedly taken legal action against inclusion in the EU list of terrorist organisations. The ECJ only ruled in its favour because the EU's decision was formally flawed. In May 2022, the PKK once again applied to the Federal Ministry of the Interior to have its ban on activities lifted A decision is still pending.

The VDJ supports this application as well as other initiatives to end the criminalisation of the PKK, and the demands made by the Left Party parliamentary group in the Bundestag in 2014 are still valid:

1. to take political steps to lift the ban imposed in 1993 on the PKK and its sub-, subsidiary and successor organisations as well as its affiliated associations and media,

2. to revoke the authorisation of the Federal Ministry of Justice to prosecute the PKK as a foreign terrorist organisation under Section 129b of the German Criminal Code,

3. to end all sanctions in connection with the ban on the activities of the PKK and its sub-, subsidiary and successor organisations as well as its affiliated associations and media, the classification of the PKK as a foreign terrorist organisation pursuant to Section 129b of the German Criminal Code and its listing on the EU terror list,

4. to initiate political steps for an amnesty for all those who have only been convicted of membership or support of the PKK or its sub-, subsidiary and successor organisations or its affiliated associations and media on the basis of the ban on PKK activities under association law, or who are currently under investigation,

5. to campaign at EU level for the removal of the PKK (including organisations listed as a.k.a. such as KADEK, Kongra-Gel) from the list of terrorist organisations and to veto any further listing of the PKK at the next vote on the list at the Council of the European Union,

6. to encourage the Turkish government and the PKK to continue the peace talks that have begun in a constructive and transparent manner with the aim of securing lasting peace through the implementation of democratic reforms in the area of human and minority rights,

The VDJ calls on the Federal Government to respond to the motion of May 2022 and to implement the demands of the Left Party from 2014. The criminalisation of the Kurdish opposition must come to an end.”

Turkey, the Kurds and the PKK

Burak Ünveren1

DW

The PKK has claimed responsibility for an attack on a defense company in Ankara in which five people were killed. Who is the PKK and what do they strive for?

Image: Alain Pitton/Imago Images

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Turkish defense company TUSAS in Ankara, according to the Kurdish news agency ANF.

The report states that the "Immortal Battalion," an autonomous unit of the PKK's military arm, was responsible for the attack, which was carried out in response to Turkish "massacres" and other actions in Kurdish regions.

The attack took place shortly after an advance on the possible release of PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan under the condition that his organization disarms. The PKK denies any links between this and to the attack.

Who is the PKK and what are their aims?

The latest attack might have thwarted attempts to release PKK-founder Abdullah Ocalan after years of prison in return for disarming the PKKImage: Christoph Hardt/Panama Pictures/picture alliance

The origins of the PKK

In Turkey, social tensions between Turks and Kurds have been an issue for decades.

Kurds have been demanding more cultural and political rights from the centrally organized Turkish state, while Ankara often frames such demands as a threat to national stability.

Kurds make up around 20% of Turkey's population. While they live all over the country, the largest communities are concentrated in the southeast. Kurdish groups also live in the neighboring states of Syria, Iraq and Iran.

In Iraq, the Kurds hold a semi-autonomous status in the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, while in northeastern Syria some areas are under the control of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Within Turkey, two main actors seek to represent the interests of the Kurds: The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM — the third largest party in parliament — and the PKK. The DEM Party is committed to a peaceful, political solution whereas the originally Marxist-Leninist PKK is armed, and its members have engaged in guerrilla tactics.

Abdullah Ocalan is said to control the PKK from behind barsImage: Mustafa Abadan/AA/picture alliance

What are the PKK's aims?

Founded in 1978, the PKK's original aim was to establish an independent Kurdish state. However, since 1984, the PKK has been engaged in an armed conflict with the Turkish state.

According to several political scientists, this conflict is considered a low-intensity war. It has claimed up to 40,000 civilian and military victims on both sides. The PKK is classified as a terrorist organization in the USA and the EU.

Since 1995, the organization has been striving for autonomy and cultural rights for Kurds within Turkey and has given up its demand for independence in favour of a system of self-government.

The PKK is believed to have 60,000 members, including active fighters, supporters and sympathizers.

The Kandil Mountains in northern Iraq are its main base of operations, where it organizes militant campaigns and logistics. Turkey regularly bombs positions of Kurdish groups in Iraq and Syria.

Criminalization of Kurdish politics

Over the last ten years, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP), has increasingly criminalized Kurdish politics in Turkey.

The DEM Party and other factions have been associated with the PKK, although the DEM Party officially advocates a peaceful solution and distances itself from the PKK.

Many Kurdish politicians, including the former chairman of the People's Democratic Party, or HDP, Selahattin Demirtas, have been jailed on terrorism charges.

While some HDP members have family ties to the PKK, such as Omer Ocalan, the nephew of PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, the HDP has asserted that such connections are individual and do not reflect its policies.

PKK founder Ocalan has been held in prison since 1999.

The same year, he was sentenced to death for high treason. However, before the sentence was carried out, Turkey abolished the death penalty and Ocalan's sentence was converted to life imprisonment in 2002.

He continues to exert influence on the organization from behind bars.

While the victims of the latest PKK attack were buried, Turkey's army targeted Kurdish facilities in Iraq and Syria

Image: Adem Altan/AFP

Is peace on the horizon?

In the past, multiple efforts have been made to create peace.

In the first years of the AKP government in particular, Kurds were given new rights, including educational opportunities in their mother tongue and Kurdish-language state media.

However, lasting peace remains the horizon.

Earlier this month, the far-right Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli surprised everyone by shaking hands with representatives of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party in parliament. He later described this as "perfectly normal for a party of unity in Turkey."

Bahceli, who is considered an important ally of Erdogan in the governing alliance with the AKP, appealed to Ocalan on October 15 to persuade the PKK to give up their weapons. On October 22, he called on Ocalan to announce the dissolution of the PKK in parliament.

On October 24, Ocalan replied from prison: "I have the theoretical and practical power to (transform) this process from one grounded in conflict and violence to one that is grounded on law and politics."

The PKK is said to have around 60,000 members, among them supporters, activists and combat soldiers

Image: Yann Renoult/Wostok Press/MAXPPP/picture alliance

What is behind this?

According to experts, regional developments have influenced Turkey's change of course on the Kurdish issue. But, political scientist Sezin Oney sees "no real peace initiative" in these steps. "The main aim is to minimize the threat posed by armed groups such as the PKK," she told DW.

Oney also stresses Turkey's current economic restrictions: "Turkey has neither the political nor the economic basis to finance a new war," she said.

Political scientist Eren Aksoyoglu, a former parliamentary advisor, agrees. "Turkey sees the Israel-Hamas war as a threat and against this backdrop, the government wants to integrate the Kurdish movement into 'Greater Turkey' and bring all internal actors under control," he told DW.

An AKP politician, who wishes to remain anonymous, confirmed that the geopolitical situation is forcing Turkey to strive for a unified domestic policy and resolve conflicts within the country.

This applies not only to the Kurdish question, but also to other domestic political tensions.

However, just one day after Bahceli's appeal, Ankara was shaken by the attack on the TUSAS defense factory, which has led to further strikes on Kurdish areas abroad. Many in the Turkish public see the attack as an attempt to undermine the peace efforts.

Berrak Güngör and Kayhan Ayhan contributed to this article, which originally appeared in German.


Burak Ünveren Multimedia editor with a focus on Turkish foreign policy and German-Turkish relations.

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Americans Shouldn’t Accept Erdogan’s Cynical Stance On The PKK

By Michael Rubin

19fortyfive.com

December 08, 2022

“We are determined to root out this terrorist organization,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared shortly after a bomb exploded on an Istanbul pedestrian mall, calling the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) “enemies of Islam and humanity.”

For NATO leaders, diplomats, and those in Washington prone to accept and amplify Turkish talking points, Erdogan’s concerns were “legitimate.” Many repeated Turkey’s charge that PKK affiliates in Syria were responsible for the attack, something both Syrian Kurds and the PKK deny.

Such deference to Erdogan has a cost.

Turkey today uses the Istanbul bomb both as a reason to conduct a preplanned operation to eradicate Kurdish self-governance across northern and eastern Syria, and to incite the Turkish public against the United States. “We know the identity, location and track record of the terrorists. We also know very well who patronizes, arms and encourages terrorists,” Erdogan declared, trying to incite anger toward the United States, which has supported the Syrian Defense Forces’ fight against the Islamic State.

While there are legitimate arguments for close U.S.-Turkish ties, it is a mistake to both conflate Turkey with Erdogan and to assume principle rather than politics shapes the Turkish position toward the PKK.

From the very formation of modern Turkey, the country’s leaders discriminated against the country’s Kurds. For Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his successor İsmet İnönü, the problem was the Kurds’ religiosity and resistance to laicism. Subsequently, Turks sought to repress Kurdish ethnic and cultural identity. It was against this milieu and outright racism that Abdullah Öcalan broke with Turkish leftists and founded the PKK on ethnic grounds.

At first, the PKK did engage in terrorism against fellow Kurds and Turks, and embraced Marxist ideology. In August 1984 PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan launched an insurgency and terror campaign, seizing towns in southeastern Turkey and using loudspeakers to declare separatist goals. Over the following decade, fighting between the PKK and the Turkish army resulted in perhaps 20,000 deaths. While Turkey engaged in systematic human rights abuses both before and after the PKK insurgency, PKK attacks on civilians were a tactical mistake as the Turkish public began to see the Kurds as an enemy group rather than a victimized minority, a fact that set the Kurdish cause back decades.

With the end of the Cold War, the PKK liberalized its economic philosophy and shed its separatist demands. With time, PKK evolved first into a more traditional insurgency, and then a far more dormant one. This is the major reason why the United States did not initially designate the PKK to be a terror group; it did so only in 1997 not on the merits of the group’s actions but rather because Ankara demanded it as a condition of a multi-billion dollar arms sale.

None other than Turgut Özal, prime minister and then president during the height of the PKK’s violent campaign, recognized the change in the PKK. Özal repeatedly stood up to Turkey’s ossified elite and broke the taboo surrounding liberalization of Turkey’s Kurdish policies to include allowing the Kurdish language, Kurdish education and television broadcasts. Özal also first proposed establishment of the Kurdish safe-haven in Iraq, albeit to avoid a refugee influx into Turkey. As the Turkish military gained the upper hand over the PKK in the early 1990s, Özal even pushed the Turkish government to address the economic discrimination that fueled separatist fire. Had a heart attack not felled Özal in his prime, it is possible if not even likely the PKK and Turkish state would have begun formal negotiations to end the insurgency.

Özal was not the only leader who sought to end the conflict with the PKK, although he was in hindsight the most sincere. Öcalan welcomed talks and shed doctrinaire inflexibility. Indeed, the PKK evolved with time just as Turkey had. Erdogan repeatedly reached out to the group and its proxies in the belief that his brand of Islamism might form a common bond and that Kurds might offer him electoral support. PKK members even agreed to lay down arms and move to Syria, where, with very few resources, they established a successful and progressive government. For Erdogan to complain that PKK members live in northern Syria is disingenuous since he sent them there as part of a peace deal.

Erdogan’s cynicism and dishonesty run deep. He made myriad promises to Turkish Kurds prior to each election, only to renege on them after. Ultimately, Turkey’s Kurds saw through his cynicism. They voted in earnest for the predominantly Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (or its earlier iteration), breaking through the ten percent threshold to loosen Erdogan’s grip on parliament. Erdogan responded not by respecting the democratic will, but by arresting its leadership.

This brings us back to the present. Diplomats might appease the Turkish government in the mistaken belief they can appease Erdogan. They err in the belief that short-term appeasement will discourage further violence. Academics and think tank analysts should not be constrained by existing government policy, however. To substitute volume and repetition of Erdogan statements for research is both dishonest and poor research methodology. It is also anachronistic given developments in Turkish-Kurdish relations from the 1990s to the present. Here, there is a parallel to South Africa. Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress was both Marxist and engaged in terrorism in its origin, but both Mandela and the group he led evolved to seek compromise and peace.

There is something very wrong when Americans who have never interacted with or confronted the Syrian Kurdish leadership with their concerns, let alone bothered to visit the region to see whether Erdogan’s characterizations are accurate, seek to be more Turkish than the most ardent, intolerant, and extreme Turkish political groupings. The tragedy is that such academic malpractice can lead to very real consequence with the furtherance of conflict and the murder of even more innocents.

PKK, 45 years struggling for the existence, freedom and honour of the Kurdish people

Formally founded on 27 and 28 November 1978 the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party, Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan) core group was made up largely of political science students led by Abdullah Öcalan in Ankara.

ANF
NEWS DESK
Monday, 27 Nov 2023

Formally founded on 27 and 28 November 1978, the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party, Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan) core group was made up largely of political science students led by Abdullah Öcalan in Ankara. The group soon moved its focus to the large Kurdish population in south-east Turkey. On 27 November 1978, the group adopted the name "Kurdistan Workers' Party".

The 1980 Turkish coup d'état pushed the organization to another stage with the members doing jail time, being subject to capital punishment, or fleeing to Syria.

The first congress of the organization was held in 1982 and outlined the various phases necessary for the liberation of Kurdistan.

In 1984, on 15 August, the PKK carried out its first armed action.

The founding of the PKK was initially the answer to the bitter alternative of “assimilation or extinction” in a state that was committed to the ideology of ethnic homogeneity. Abdullah Öcalan, Haki Karer, Kemal Pir, Sakine Cansız and a handful of comrades-in-arms decided on the path of resistance against the feudalism of the time and a colonialism aimed at exploitation and ultimately extermination.

These first militants refrained from writing pages of declarations of intent and theoretical treatises on independence and self-determination. They preferred practice. "We have to live the alternative that we always talk about," said Öcalan. So they looked for a way into society, talked to people everywhere about their everyday problems, founded small circles of "help for self-help" and showed how social resistance can develop - even on a small scale. With empathy, seriousness and determination, the still young PKK lit the fire of self-empowerment.

One of the greatest achievements is the break with the concept of nation states. Wherever the PKK movement is active, attempts are being made to push back the state and rely on social self-organization. A growing "grassroots revolution". The "Declaration of Democratic Confederalism" proclaimed in 2005 as a strategic realignment of the party is evidence of the PKK's ability to learn from mistakes and respond to social changes with new answers.

The PKK in its own words

"Our party, since its inception, has been struggling for the existence, freedom and honour of the Kurdish people against the genocide begun by the racist-chauvinist Unionists at the beginning of the 20th century, which aimed to end the freedom of the Kurdish people and wipe them out from history. In this sense, the decision taken on 27th November 1978 to become a party was also a decision for national existence and resistance. This is why this day is being celebrated as national resistance by our people.

Over the years, the PKK has fought to safeguard and realize the freedom of the Kurdish people against the physical and cultural genocide and assimilation policies of the Turkish nation-state. Our party has staged a great resistance against one of the biggest army’s in the world, supported by NATO, and also Gladio (deep state) organization to bring the Kurdish people to the point of declaring democratic autonomy."

PKK, 45 years of great struggles and great achievements

On the occasion of its 45th founding anniversary, the PKK Executive Committee declared its determination to continue fighting against all forms of patriarchy, nationalism, racism, the liberalism of capitalist modernity and to create a democratic system.

ANF
BEHDINAN
Thursday, 23 Nov 2023

On November 27th, the PKK celebrates its 45th founding anniversary. On the occasion of this historic date, the PKK called for the coming year to be the year of the liberation of the Kurdish representative Abdullah Öcalan, jailed in Imrali, and the resolution of the Kurdish question. The statement from the PKK Executive Committee said: "We are now celebrating the 45th anniversary of the founding of the PKK, our pioneer in the fight for freedom. As a movement, a people and democratic humanity, we enter the 46th year even stronger and more determined on the basis of the global freedom campaign. We are convinced that this year we will achieve important achievements to guarantee the physical freedom of Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan].

The 45th year was a year of great struggle and great achievements

With this in mind, we congratulate all our comrades, especially Rêber Apo, our patriotic people and our revolutionary-democratic friends on November 27th, the celebration and founding day of the party. We remember with deep respect, love and gratitude all of our courageous martyrs, starting with Heval Haki Karer up to those who died in the 45th year, whom we would like to remember here by naming comrades Leyla, Axîn, Rojhat and Erdal. For the 46th year of the PKK, we announce that we will fight even harder on the line of apoism and the martyr and achieve even greater victories."

The statement continued: "As is well known, Rêber Apo and the PKK were not born into active, ongoing resistance, nor did they inherit the possibilities of such resistance. On the contrary, the PKK emerged and developed as a modern national liberation, freedom and democracy movement in an environment in which the classic uprisings had been completely crushed, all momentum had been stifled and the Kurdish people were almost annihilated on the basis of a cultural genocide brought to the brink of extinction. The PKK emerged and developed solely thanks to the creative efforts of its leader Abdullah Öcalan and the great courage and sacrifice of the Kurdish people, led by young people and women. For this reason, every moment was a moment of intense struggle. Each year witnessed much more extensive resistance and war than the previous, and everything from a few words to a free life was achieved through great sacrifice by the fallen. The PKK's 45th year was also a year of great struggle and full of successes.

Apoism became global

Everyone today knows and accepts the fact that the Kurdish people, through the great struggle led by Rêber Apo and the PKK, overcame the cultural genocide and won everything for their survival and freedom through the struggle led by Rêber Apo and the PKK. With the struggle of the last half century, the Kurdish slave mentality and the threat of extinction have been overcome and a free Kurdish identity has been created, an identity in which people have the strength and will to pay any price for their freedom. Kurdistan has transformed from a bastion of reaction to a bastion of the freedom struggle. A place that inspires all oppressed humanity. Kurdish society became aware of the apoist ideology of freedom and organized itself. She led the most important war of freedom in history. On the basis of such a struggle, apoism was globalized and the Kurdish freedom struggle became a fire lighting the path of all oppressed humanity."

The 21st century has become the century of women’s liberation

The statement added: "The PKK's struggle in its 45th year has brought all of these developments to a climax. The guerrilla resistance led by the struggle in the Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna areas and the brave struggle of our people and our friends in the four parts of Kurdistan and abroad have dealt severe blows to the AKP-MHP fascism and brought it to the brink of collapse. The comprehensive revolutionary people's war and resistance for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo and against the isolation, torture and extermination system on Imrali has reached a strength that also influences the agenda of regional and global politics. The Kurdistan Free Women's Movement, which developed on the lines of 'Jin Jiyan Azadî', has impressed women all over the world with its ideological and practical struggle and has already made the 21st century a century of women's freedom. The Kurdish youth movement is a pioneer in building a global youth movement as an alternative of democratic modernity to capitalist modernity. She has the will to shape the future with her own hands.

A new global democracy movement has begun

We welcome the guerrilla, popular, women and youth resistance in the 45th year of the PKK, which is following the trail of resistance in all areas from dungeons to the mountains, from the four parts of Kurdistan to all places in the world developed by Imrali; We congratulate their success and honor all those who died in the process. We believe that all this self-sacrificing resistance will become even more successful and stronger in the 46th year and wish everyone much success in this regard.

It is clear that we will enter the 46th party year with the campaign 'Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and a solution to the Kurdish question' announced on 10 October. This global freedom campaign was initiated by our friends and is supported by our people and all of humanity. Now there are actions in every region and every day demanding the physical freedom of Rêber Apo and the solution to the Kurdish question. Our people and our friends are entering the new year of the party with this broad and effective mobilization. Women and young people are leading this campaign on a global scale. Freedom-minded and democratic people of all genders, nationalities and social classes are taking part in this campaign. A new global fight for freedom and democracy has begun. This great struggle, which is developing for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo and on the basis of the adoption of his democratic, ecological and women's liberation paradigm, shows that a new 'global democracy movement' has indeed begun."

Participate in the Freedom Campaign

The statement added: "It is clear that the PKK's 46th year will make this active freedom campaign its basis. All struggles, from guerrilla to women's, youth and popular resistance, will unite in this global freedom campaign. Our movement, our people and our friends will fight and win against the fascist dictatorship of Tayyip Erdoğan and his alliance through this campaign. In the 45th year of the struggle, the foundations of the murderous system were shaken and a process was initiated in which all balances were disturbed. In the 46th year, the freedom struggle will complete this development and destroy AKP-MHP fascism.

On this basis, it will open the way for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo and a solution to the Kurdish question. In this context, we call on all comrades, our patriotic people and our democratic friends to properly understand the meaning of the global freedom campaign launched on 10 October, to participate fully and strongly in it and to use it in diverse and creative ways to lead forms of fighting to victory."

The path is open, the light lies before us

The statement remarked: “Our goal for the 46th year, our aspirations and will to succeed are based on this. Based on the global freedom campaign, no violence, no invasion, no massacre, no persecution and no deception will be able to prevent us from moving further towards the physical freedom of Rêber Apo and a solution to the Kurdish question. The people of Kurdistan will never allow themselves to become victims of regional and global conflicts of interest, like the people of Gaza. The liberalism of capitalist modernity, as well as the nationalism, fundamentalism, sexism and positivist scienticism that these wars give rise to, will be strongly and effectively combated in all areas. Efforts are being made to ensure that all oppressed groups and peoples develop consciousness and organize themselves to wage a common struggle based on democratic confederalism. Democratic confederalism is based on democratic autonomy and democratic nationhood. On this basis, the line of development and strengthening of the strategic alliance with the freedom and democracy struggles of all oppressed groups and peoples and the use of all kinds of tactical relationships will be pursued.

It is clear that in the 46th year our path is open and leads into the light. It is clear where, what and how we should act. Let us understand these realities more accurately and deeply, internalize the apoist paradigm of freedom more, participate more in the global freedom campaign, and fight with more creative methods in every field and lead the campaign to victory! Let's make the 46th year of the PKK the year of Rêber Apo's physical freedom and the solution of the Kurdish question!

On this basis, we once again warmly congratulate Rêber Apo, all our companions, our people and our friends on November 27th, the day of the party, and call on everyone to celebrate the founding day of the PKK with a variety of actions. We will reconnect it with the global freedom campaign to celebrate with great enthusiasm!

Against all forms of patriarchy

We would also like to remember 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. We condemn all forms and dimensions of patriarchy. We believe that the revolution for women's liberation will be further strengthened by developing the fight against violence against women. We declare that both men and women should participate in activities on this basis, and we welcome all actions that develop on the basis of the women's liberation revolution and wish them great success."

THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY

Pentagon: Iran-backed militias, PKK coordinated vs. Turkish troops in Iraq

Turkey’s targeting of veteran PKK cadres in Iraq has pushed the Kurdish guerrillas to collaborate with an unlikely partner, a new Pentagon report suggests.

A truck drives on a road in the province of Sirnak, Nov. 10, 2007, near the Turkish-Iraqi border, south-eastern Turkey. - JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK/AFP via Getty Images

Jared Szuba
@JM_Szuba
May 3, 2022


US military intelligence believes Iran-backed militias have been coordinating with Kurdish guerrillas to launch attacks on Turkey’s military presence in northern Iraq, according to a Pentagon inspector general report released today.

Prominent Iran-backed militias have publicly slammed Turkey’s military operations targeting fighters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) from the mountains of northern Iraq, citing violations of Iraq's sovereignty.

The militias are also behind a small but increasing number of rocket attacks on Turkish forces in both Iraq and Syria in recent months, according to the declassified report. Some of the strikes in Iraq were carried out “in cooperation with the PKK,” the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reported.

“Following Turkish airstrikes in February that targeted the PKK in northern Iraq, a new Iran-aligned militia group conducted a rocket attack against a Turkish expeditionary base north of Mosul,” the report read. The Turkish outpost near Zlikan, northeast of Mosul, has repeatedly come under rocket fire in the past year.

“The DIA assessed that the militias probably will continue to coordinate with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a US-designated foreign terrorist organization, in response to Turkish air and UAV strikes on PKK positions,” the report read.

Why it matters: Since the battlefield defeat of the Islamic State, Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq have typically focused their rocket and drone attacks on bases and diplomatic facilities used by the US in Iraq. They have also targeted political rivals and the Iraqi prime minister.

Such attacks have been less frequent in recent months, however. That may be due the militias' desire to avoid actions that could weaken the standing of their political affiliates amid the ongoing government formation following last year’s elections, according to the DIA's assessment.

Now, the unpopular expansion of Turkey’s military operations against the PKK in Iraq's Kurdistan region appears to be giving Iran-aligned groups space to carve out some new legitimacy.

“The militias probably calculate that their attacks against Turkey will deter Turkey from attacking the PKK in federal Iraq while enhancing their public image as defenders of Iraqi sovereignty,” the DIA reported.

The Pentagon’s assessment raises questions as to the extent to which cooperation between the Iran-backed militias and PKK-linked groups has spread beyond northwestern Iraq’s Sinjar region, where both Baghdad and Ankara have sought to dislodge militants affiliated with both factions.

“There does seem to be some significant militia-PKK cooperation going in the Sinjar area and potentially around Mosul too,” said Alex Almeida, the lead security analyst at Horizon Client Access.

“They’ve hit Zlikan with rocket barrages over six times so far this year, plus a drone attack last month on the Iraq-Turkey export pipeline infrastructure up near Fishkhabur,” Almieda told Al-Monitor, adding, “Usually the rockets are fired from the Shabak militia areas of the eastern Nineveh Plains, in federal Iraq.”

Almeida expressed skepticism that the militias’ motivations stretch beyond political posturing. Lobbing rockets at Turkish forces, he said, is a way for the militias to “boost their [Iraqi] nationalist credentials on the cheap."

The background: The PKK and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are ideologically distinct, but both battled against the Islamic State and in its wake have built broad networks of their own affiliated militias in Iraq and Syria which have resisted attempts by central governments to challenge their autonomy.

Turkey announced a new military operation to encircle core PKK strongholds in the mountains of Iraq northern border region last month. Meanwhile, Iraq’s military has sent armored units to suppress clashes with a PKK-trained Yazidi militia known as the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) in the country’s northwest, fueling speculation that Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s government is coordinating security operations with Ankara.

Turkey’s government sees Iraq’s Sinjar region as a key node linking PKK strongholds in northern Iraq with the groups’ affiliates in Syria. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to launch a ground operation into Sinjar to dislodge PKK-linked fighters if necessary.

Last year, Iran’s ambassador to Iraq, former IRGC official Iraj Masjedi, triggered a diplomatic row when he admonished Ankara to withdraw its troops from Iraq, adding that Turkey had no justification to intervene in Sinjar. Just over a month later, a Turkish soldier was killed in a rocket attack at a base near Bashiqa.

With US support, Iraq has been fortifying its open desert border with Syria by installing cameras, watchtowers, concertina wire, and constructing sections of trench and concrete wall.

Know more: Read Fehim Tastekin’s story on the latest moves in Sinjar.

Kurdistan Workers' Party claims deadly Ankara attack

ONE MAN'S TERRORIST IS ANOTHER WOMAN'S ARMED STRUGGLE

The PKK has claimed responsibility for this week's attack on Turkish defense firm TUSAS that killed five people in Ankara, the militant group said in a statement.

Turkish President Erdogan has condemned the 'cowardly' attack

Image: AP/picture alliance

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Friday claimed an attack on a state-run Turkish defense firm in Ankara that killed five people and wounded 22 others earlier this week.

Two assailants carried out Wednesday's onslaught with automatic rifles and explosives on the headquarters of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in the Turkish capital.

"The act of sacrifice at TAI campus in Ankara at around 15:30 local time on Wednesday was carried out by a team of the immortals battalion" of the PKK, it said on Telegram, referring to Turkish Aerospace Industries.

Previously, the Turkish government had said it had proof the PKK was responsible while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attack targeted "the survival of our country."

Turkey responds by striking PKK targets

A few hours after Wednesday's assault, the Turkish government launched airstrikes on PKK targets in northern Iraq and Syria. The PKK has its headquarters in the Kandil Mountains in northern Iraq.

The group has waged an on-off insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 and is regarded as a terror group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Turkey blames Kurdish group for attack on defense firm  01:54

In 2011 President Erdogan supported backchannel peace efforts in a bid to resolve the issue but the fragile truce collapsed in 2015 in a fresh round of violence.

This prompted Erdogan's AKP government along with its junior partner, the far-right MHP, to change tack, ramping up military pressure on the Kurdish rebels.

jsi/wd (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Turkey: Burials before possible talks with jailed PKK leader

Turkey has said it struck numerous PKK cells in response to a Wednesday terror attack in Ankara. 

Meanwhile, a deal could be in the works to free PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan if he vows to disband the group.

Victims of Wednesday's attack in Ankara were being buried as Turkish forces pummeled PKK sites in Syria and IraqImage: Adem Altan/AFP

Turkish officials attended the burials of five people killed in a terror attack Wednesday as Ankara responded by bombing numerous targets hours later.

At the same time, there are indications that jailed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan may be willing to renounce violence against the Turkish state and disband his organization.

The Wednesday attack targeted state-owned Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), killing five and injuring 22. Officials claimed it was "very likely” that the PKK was behind the incident.

Turkey announced that its forces had hit "47 terrorist targets” in Syria and Iraq overnight and pledged more attacks would follow.

Turkey, the EU and the US all label the PKK a terrorist organization.

Speaking from the BRICS summit in Russia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday's attack had only "strengthened Turkey's determination and resolve to eliminate terrorism."

Turkey blames Kurdish group for attack on defense firm 01:54

Ocalan ready for a change after 25 years of solitary confinement?

All of this has played out against the backdrop of possible talks between Ankara and the jailed leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan.

Ocalan, who co-founded the group, has been in solitary confinement at Istanbul's Imrali island prison since 1999.

On Tuesday, Devlet Bahceli, an ally of Erdogan and the leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), suggested possible parole for Ocalan if he would renounce violence and disband the PKK.

Ocalan is serving a life sentence and was granted his first visit in more than four years this week.

After the visit, Ocalan's nephew Omer, a lawyer for the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equity and Democracy Party (DEM) — the third largest party in Turkey's parliament — said his uncle was "in good health."

He also reported that Ocalan had given him a message, saying, "if conditions allow, I have the necessary theoretical and practical power to shift this process from the arena of conflict and violence to one of law and politics."

Media sources close to the government reported Ocalan as saying that he was, "ready to lay down his arms."

The DEM, whose support Erdogan needs if he is to see through his plan to change the Turkish constitution to allow himself to remain in power indefinitely, condemned Wednesday's attack, pointing out that it had come at a time when, "Turkish society was talking about a solution and the possibility of dialogue."

The most recent attempt at peace talks between the two sides failed in 2015, opening a bloody new chapter in a conflict that began in 1984.

The fight to establish an autonomous Kurdish state has claimed tens of thousands of lives since it began 40 years ago.

Turkey: Dreaming of Kurdistan  04:30

js/lo (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Turkey buries attack victims after striking PKK

Ankara (AFP) – Turkey said it had proof that PKK militants were behind the deadly Ankara attack that claimed the lives of five people who were laid to rest Thursday after an emotional farewell.

The coffin of Murat Arslan, the taxi driver killed in Wednesday's attack, was carried by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, left, and parliamentary speaker Numan Kurtulmus 

© Adem ALTAN / AFP

Wednesday's shooting attack at the state-run Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) came after days in which the government appeared to be leaning towards a resumption of dialogue with Kurdish militants.

After government ministers said they were "very likely" responsible, the military pounded PKK targets in Syria and Iraq overnight in raids that Kurdish militants in Syria said left 12 civilians dead.

And on Thursday investigators confirmed that both attackers, a man and a woman, were "PKK terrorists", Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on X.

Both appeared in CCTV images posted on X in which they are seen emerging from a taxi then firing assault rifles before entering the building in an attack that killed five and wounded 22 others.

Family members mourn the death of taxi driver Murat Arslan who was killed during Wednesday's attack on the TAI defence firm © Adem ALTAN / AFP

After flying in from Russia where he had attended the BRICS summit of major emerging economy nations, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan chaired a security meeting at Istanbul's old Ataturk airport.

There he was briefed by top diplomat Hakan Fidan, spy chief Ibrahim Kalin, the defence and interior ministers, the army chief, the head of Turkey's state Defence Industry Agency and top officials from his ruling AK party, the Anadolou news agency reported.

After a day in which the victims were laid to rest following mournful ceremonies, many attended by government representatives, Turkey appeared to be planning a tough response.

Security stepped up

With 14 of the 22 wounded still in hospital, security measures were stepped up at Istanbul's two international airports.

Overnight, the military struck "47 terrorist targets" in Syria and northern Iraq, the defence ministry said, claiming to have killed "59 terrorists" including two in senior positions.

Five people were killed in the attack, with taxi driver Murat Arslan shot dead by the attackers who stole his vehicle © Adem ALTAN / AFP

Kurdish sources in northern Syria said the strikes had killed 12 civilians and wounded 25 others.

The attack struck amid growing signs of a political thaw between Ankara and Kurdish militants.

Just hours before the attack, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan -- who has been jailed on a Turkish prison island in solitary confinement since 1999 -- received his first family visit in years.

His nephew, Omer Ocalan, a lawmaker for the main pro-Kurdish DEM party, confirmed the visit on X, saying the family had last seen him "on March 3, 2020".

The only other contact was a brief phone call in March 2021.

Earlier this month, demonstrators protested against the ongoing isolation of PKK head Abdullah Ocalan, who has been languishing in solitary confinement since 1999 © Ilyas AKENGIN / AFP/File

His uncle was "in good health" and had sent a message, saying: "If the conditions allow, I have the theoretical and practical power to shift this process from an arena of conflict and violence to one of law and politics."

Abdulkadir Selvi, a columnist for the Hurriyet daily which is close to the government, said the meeting lasted two hours and that "Ocalan said he was ready to lay down his arms."

The visit came a day after Devlet Bahceli, head of the far-right MHP, which is close to Erdogan and fiercely hostile to the PKK, sparked shockwaves by inviting Ocalan to parliament to renounce terror and dissolve his movement.

DEM -- the third largest party in parliament -- said it was "noteworthy" that the TAI attack happened "just as Turkish society was talking about a solution and the possibility of dialogue".

Arrested on February 15, 1999 in Kenya by Turkish security forces after years on the run, Ocalan was brought back and tried but escaped execution after Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2004.

He has since lived in an isolation cell on Imrali prison island in the Sea of Marmara, turning 75 in April.

For many Kurds, Abdullah Ocalan is a hero © MICHEL GANGNE / AFP/File

In 1978 he founded the PKK which went on to spearhead a brutal insurgency that has killed tens of thousands in its fight for independence.

He first called for dialogue and a ceasefire in 2012 and again in 2013, before the bloody conflict resumed in 2015.

© 2024 AFP

Turkiye buries attack victims after striking PKK in Iraq, Syria

AFP Published October 25, 2024 

ANKARA: Family members and relatives mourn next to the coffins of people who were killed in an attack on the state-run Turkish Aerospace Industries building, on Thursday. Turkish forces struck PKK militants in Iraq and Syria, whom Ankara blamed for Wednesday’s assault that killed five people and injured 22 others.—AFP

• Kurdish sources claim strikes killed 12 civilians, wounded 25 others

• Erdogan says Ankara attack ‘further strengthens resolve to eliminate terrorism’

ANKARA: The first Ankara attack victims were being buried on Thursday, just hours after Turkiye struck PKK militants in Iraq and Syria whom it blames for the assault on a defence firm that killed five.

As the dust settled after Wednesday’s deadly att­ack on the state-run Tur­kish Aerospace Industries (TAI) that also left 22 injured, Turkiye pointed the finger at Kurdish militants as “very likely” responsible.

Turkish investigators said both attackers were “PKK terrorists”, identifying them as a man called Ali Orek, codename “Rojger”, and a woman called Mine Sevjin Alcicek, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on X.



Both appeared in CCTV images posted on X in which they are seen emerging from a taxi then firing assault rifles before entering the building.

The taxi driver, whom they killed, was buried on Thursday at a funeral attended by Yerlikaya and parliamentary speaker Numan Kurtulmus.

Of the 22 people hurt in the attack, eight had been discharged, while the other 14 remained in hospital, Turkiye’s health ministry said.

Security stepped up

Istanbul’s two main airports have since stepped up security, the DHA news agency and private NTV channel reported.

Sabiha Gokcen airport, which is located on the Asian side of the city, told passengers to arrive “at least three hours” early to avoid delays due to increased security.

Overnight, the defence ministry said the military struck “47 terrorist targets” in Syria and northern Iraq and pledged the raids would continue. Kurdish sources in northern Syria said the strikes had killed 12 civilians and wounded 25 others.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is in Russia attending the BRICS summit of major emerging economy nations, said the attack had “further strengthened Turkiye’s determination and resolve to eliminate terrorism”.

The attack happened amid growing signs of a political thaw between Ankara and Kurdish militants.

Just hours beforehand, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan — who has been jailed on a Turkish prison island in solitary confinement since 1999 — received his first family visit in years.

Ready to lay down arms?

His nephew, Omer Ocalan, who is a lawmaker for the main pro-Kurdish DEM party, confirmed the visit on X, and said the family had last seen him “on March 3, 2020”. The only other contact was a brief phone call in March 2021.

His uncle was “in good health” and had sent a message about the ongoing “political developments”, saying: “If the conditions allow, I have the necessary theoretical and practical power to shift this process from an arena of conflict and violence to one of law and politics.”

According to Abdul­kadir Selvi, a columnist for the Hurriyet daily which is close to the government, during the two-hour meeting “Ocalan said he was ready to lay down his arms”.

On Tuesday, Devlet Bahceli, head of the far-right MHP, which is fiercely hostile to the PKK and belongs to Erdogan’s ruling coalition, sparked shockwaves by inviting Ocalan to parliament to renounce terror and dissolve his movement.

After the attack, DEM — the third largest party in parliament — condemned the violence but said it was “noteworthy” it happened “just as Turkish society was talking about a solution and the possibility of dialogue”.

Arrested on February 15, 1999 in the Kenyan capital Nairobi following a Hollywood-style operation by Turkish security forces after years on the run, Ocalan was brought to Turkiye for trial and sentenced to death.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2024

At least a dozen civilians killed in Turkish strikes, says Kurdish-led Syria force

At least 12 civilians were killed in Turkish air strikes in northeastern Syria on Thursday, according to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The attack comes a day after Turkey launched air strikes on Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria, blaming them for an attack that killed five people at a defence firm near Ankara.


Issued on: 24/10/2024 - 
By: NEWS WIRES

Turkish police officers secure part of a main road in Kahramankazan, about 40 kilometres north of Ankara, on October 23, 2024. 

© Adem Altan, AFP


The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Thursday that Turkish air strikes killed 12 civilians in northeastern Syria, following a deadly attack on a defence firm near Ankara.

"Over the past hours... a new wave of (Turkish) attacks on northern and eastern Syria" killed "12 civilians, including two children", and wounded 25 others, a statement from the US-backed force said.

"In addition to populated areas, Turkish warplanes and UAVs (drones) targeted bakeries, power stations, oil facilities and (Kurdish) Internal Security Force checkpoints," the statement added, also reporting Turkish shelling.

Turkey launched air strikes on Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria Wednesday blaming them for an attack that killed five people at a defence firm near Ankara.

A further 22 people were wounded in the attack, which the government said was "very likely" carried out by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Hours later, "an air operation was carried out against terrorist targets in the north of Iraq and Syria," the defence ministry said in a statement.

"A total of 32 targets belonging to the terrorists were successfully destroyed."

The US-backed SDF spearheaded the campaign that dislodged Islamic State group jihadists from their last scraps of Syrian territory in 2019.

Turkey sees the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which dominate the SDF, as an offshoot of the PKK.

Turkish troops and allied rebel factions control swathes of northern Syria following successive cross-border offensives since 2016, most of them targeting the SDF.

(AFP)

DEM Party Headquarters in Ankara attacked

The DEM Party Headquarters in Ankara was attacked last night.


ANF
ANKARA
Friday, 25 October 2024, 

The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Headquarters building in Ankara was attacked last night.

DEM Party Spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan wrote on her social media: "Our DEM Party Headquarters in Balgat, one of the busiest neighborhoods of Ankara, where many political parties have their headquarters, was attacked at midnight on Thursday."

Doğan added: "As seen in the photos, the doors and windows were broken, and an attempt was made to take down our sign. We reiterate that this poor mentality that seeks provocations cannot intimidate or stop us. We call on the Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya to quickly take action to take the necessary precautions and to identify the attackers."

DEM Party calls for immediate halt to Turkish air strikes on Northern and Eastern Syria

The DEM Party called for an immediate halt to Turkish air strikes on the autonomous region of Northern and Eastern Syria: "Military operations against civilians violate international law."


ANF
ANKARA
Thursday, 24 October 2024, 13:07

The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) called for an immediate halt to Turkish attacks on the autonomous region of Northern and Eastern Syria.

The party executive's statement said: "The air strikes launched after the attack on the TUSAŞ compound in Ankara-Kahramankazan will only exacerbate the violence in the region. The bombing of many centers in Northern and Eastern Syria, especially in Kobanê, is endangering the lives of civilians. The devastating effects of the war could be catastrophic for all parties in the region. Military operations targeting civilians also violate international law. The continuation of war and conflict will only cause more suffering and losses. We appeal to all parties to work for dialogue and peaceful solutions. The bombing of civilian habitats must stop immediately."

Turkey targets wheat warehouse in Kobanê, injures workers

The Turkish state targeted a wheat warehouse in Kobanê. Many workers were injured.


ANF
NEWS DESK
Friday, 25 October 2024, 

The occupying Turkish state bombed a wheat warehouse in the village of Rovî in Kobanê.

It was reported that many workers were injured, one seriously, in the attack carried out by unmanned armed aerial vehicles.

KDC-F: Stop Turkish state bombing of civilians in Rojava



ANF
PARIS
Thursday, 24 October 2024, 17:42


The Kurdish Democratic Council in France (KDC-F) issued a statement in which it "strongly condemns the deadly bombings carried out by the Turkish army in northern Syria, which have caused, according to initial reports, the death of more than 12 civilians, including children, and injured more than 25 other people. These bombings, which occurred after the attack on the headquarters of Turkey's defense industries near Ankara, are not only unjustified, but also constitute flagrant war crimes."

The KDC-F added: "By targeting villages, civilian infrastructure and populated areas, Turkey is once again demonstrating its determination to break the legitimate resistance of the Kurdish people. These barbaric acts, which blindly strike children and civilians, reveal the Turkish government's war strategy of eradication."

The statement continued "We denounce this unacceptable violence, which violates international law and humanitarian conventions. The KDC-F calls on the international community, as well as France and the International Coalition, to assume their responsibilities by intervening to put an end to these massacres and protect civilian populations."

The KDC-F said that on Saturday, demonstrations will be organized throughout France, particularly in Paris, to denounce these bombings and express our solidarity with the victims and the Kurdish people.

The Kurdish organization called "on French civil society to mobilize against these repeated attacks and to stand alongside the Kurdish people in their struggle for peace, justice and dignity."