Turkey has launched a fresh attack against Kurdish insurgents in Iraq
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Roshan Amiri
- . April 18, 2022
- . Update: April 19, 2022 1:45 pm
Iraq–Early Monday, Turkey started a new cross-border incursion in northern Iraq against Kurdish insurgents. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was reported by the state-run Anadolu news agency as claiming that Turkish airplanes, helicopters, and drones struck Kurdish insurgent targets, camps, tunnels, shelters, and ammunition storage facilities in northern Iraq.
“Until today, our operation has gone off without a hitch. The goals set forth in the first phase have been achieved “He stated that, but he didn’t say how many people died as a result of the operation. Targets connected to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, were hit by Turkish planes and artillery. The organization has facilities in northern Iraq, which it has exploited to launch strikes against Turkey.
Turkey’s assault on PKK militants has coincided with a crackdown on the wider Kurdish movement, which has included political leaders being imprisoned and the attempted ban of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP). Turkey’s Kurdish allies According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, the PKK is planning a “large-scale onslaught,” and the Turkish offensive is being carried out in collaboration with “friends and allies.”
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Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of Iraq’s Kurdish autonomous territory. The PKK is opposed by the Barzanis, who include previous and present regional presidents. Turkey’s fear of Kurdish independence has led to cross-border actions, such as seizing control of Syria’s Kurdish territory of Afrin in order to undercut the left-wing independence movement. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which has administered the Iraqi autonomous region since its formal recognition by Baghdad in 2005, has proven to be an ally for Ankara.
What is the goal of the offensive?
“Operation Claw Lock” was launched in order to “avoid terror threats” and “guarantee our border security.” It was also backed up by artillery, according to Akar. The operation targeted the northern Iraqi areas of Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan. According to the minister, it also comprised commandos who “reached the region through infiltration from land.”
“We are resolved to save our magnificent nation from the horrible calamity that has afflicted it for the last 40 years,” Akar declared. The attack is part of Turkey’s fight against the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in Iraq and Syria. Ankara considers both to be terrorist organizations.
The PKK has also been recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. In 1984, the organization took up guns against the Turkish government. Since then, the battle has claimed the lives of almost 40,000 individuals.
