In the late hours of 15th of January, the Iranian regime launched a ballistic attack against Hewlêr (Erbil), the capital of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). As a result, four people died and 16 more were injured. These attacks reached almost every corner of the world. By the morning of the 16th of January, all political media outlet were busy reporting on Iran’s attack. However, there was one other attack earlier that day that no global media covered, and that was Turkey’s drone attack on villages around Amêdî, a town located on the northern edge of the Dihok (Duhok) district.
That was not the only time that Turkey has attacked KRG or Southern Kurdistan that month. In fact, on January 1st, the first day of the year, Turkish drones attacked a village near Çemçemal (Chamchamal), a small town located between Silêmanî (Sulaimani) and Kerkûk (Kirkuk).
Throughout the month of January, Turkish fighter jets and drones attacked Southern Kurdistan at least 16 times, and most of those attacks were conducted in different phases resulting in different locations around the same area being attacked a few times.
Attacks under the guise of self-defence
Although these attacks usually target villages and have less casualties (for example, there is no recorded death from Turkish attacks on Southern Kurdistan for the month of January), the attacks still cause damage. Based on the data from the local sources, last year there were 33 civilian deaths from Turkey’s attacks on Southern Kurdistan. Turkey, a NATO member, usually justifies its attacks by claiming to target members of the Kurdish Worker’s Party (PKK), a party, that has been fighting for the liberation of Kurdistan since its creation in 1978 and has been continuing that fight through armed conflict since 1984. Due to Turkey’s pressure on NATO, it is recognized by NATO members as terrorist organization.
However, those 33 deaths were all civilians and took place in town squares and public areas where no PKK fighters are.
The last one of those 33 deaths was in December of 2023.
On 5th of December, a Turkish drone attack on the center of Bamerinê (Bamarine), a small town near Dihok, killed one civilian and injured two others.
On the 28th of that month five laborers were murdered in a Turkish drone attack near the small town of Khanasor (Khansor) close to Şingal (Sinjar), while they were digging a well.
Violation of international law
Turkey strategically targets civilians and public areas – this is not only true for Southern Kurdistan, but also for Western Kurdistan where Turkey’s attacks are even more intense and target public buildings and infrastructure.
Despite the violation of international law that these attacks represent, the global media remain silent. In Southern Kurdistan, the Iraqi government has been fully silent about Turkey’s attacks. As for KRG, the government is controlled by a tribal Kurdish Party called PDK, which is fully run by a single family called Barzanies. The Barzanies have always been close allies of Turkey, mainly for financial and political reasons, since they maintain their power through their financial dominance in the region. With the support of the Barzanies, who repeatedly caused damage to the Kurdish people, as of this moment Turkey has invaded and crossed over 30 kilometers into the Southern Kurdistan’s borders with hundreds of Turkish military bases on Kurdish lands. While the Iraqi government remains silent, KRG prepares the ground for these attacks, leaving no one to protect the civilians from Turkey’s aggression.
On the global stage, these attacks, unlike Iran’s attack on Hewlêr, are not covered nor discussed for political reasons. While Iran and its proxy groups fight against the US, NATO members, and most of Arab countries in the Middle East, Turkey itself is a NATO member. Turkey’s geographically strategic location makes it quite useful for the Western countries in their attempt to become independent of Russia, since it is offering a route delivering oil to Europe.
As for public opinion inside the KRG and Southern Kurdistan, many Kurds have voluntarily banned Turkish products and trips to Turkey to protest the attacks.
While the majority of people in KRG condemns the current government of Turkey for the attacks, KRG’s government has made Turkey a major business partner, filling KRG’s markets with Turkish products. The cheap prices and abundance of Turkish products in the KRG’s markets are making alternatives very expensive, thus it is difficult for the people to fully ban Turkish products.
Given the current politics of Turkey and KRG, the attacks are to continue and increase. Southern Kurdistan is turned into a playball between the states that have no interest in raising attention for the attacks, leaving the suffering of the citizens of Southern Kurdistan/KRG from Turkish attacks unnoticed.
