Iraqi Kurdish Newspaper Monitors Turkish Military Invasion Events
Text of report by Bewar Chomani, Bahaddin Yousif, Salih Rahman, Aram Shekh Wasni, Hasan Mina, and Shiraz Rauf from Dukok, Barzan, Ishtar and Sulaymaniyah, entitled:” Regional government forms military operation room. Kurdistan Region presidency says: what has destruction of bridges to do with the PKK? Forty four guerrillas are killed, four bridges destroyed and dozens of families displaced”; published by Iraqi privately-owned daily newspaper Rozhnama on 24 February; subheadings as published
Kurdistan peshmarga forces have been put in a state of emergency and the Kurdistan Regional Government has again set up a military operations room. For some days now the Turkish army has been engaged in a ground military incursion deep inside Kurdistan Region on the excuse of eliminating PKK guerrillas. Turkish military operations have caused great losses in life and property. The Kurdistan Region presidency has stated in a communique that any aggression against citizens or population areas will be faced with overall resistance and all necessary preparations for this have been made.
After the Turkish parliament made a decision on 17 October last year to give a free hand to its army to invade Kurdistan Region to attack PKK guerrillas, the Turkish army has been carrying out air raids in the last five months. Last week Turkish army’s operations entered a new phase with the launching of a ground invasion from a number of border points and entering Kurdistan Region’s territory to the depth of 10 km.
40,000 peshmergas put on high alert
An authoritative informed source from the Kurdistan Region Government (KRG) told Awena that KRG has re-established its military operations room with the aim of responding to Turkish military actions. The source added that Kurdistan peshmerga forces are prepared to confront the Turkish army when the situation makes this necessary.
A member of the Political Bureau of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Muhammad Mala Qadir, said: “The peshmergas are ready to face any eventualities.” Another source told Rozhnama: “There are now 40,000 peshmergas ready to fight. Peshmerga forces have been put in a state of emergency.”
According to news sources, as a result of the Turkish invasion which started last Thursday [21 February], at least 44 PKK guerrillas and five Turkish soldiers have been killed. A Turkish military source has told Reuters that 24 of these were killed in air attacks and 20 in fighting with Turkish army. The Turkish military source has confirmed that the military invasion will continue indefinitely. On the other hand, Iraqi Red Crescent sources revealed that four major bridges have been destroyed [in Kurdistan Region] and 11 families from two border villages have been forced to flee. The military operations have caused great anxiety and fear among citizens as they are not sure to what extent the Turkish army will invade Kurdistan territory.
Kurdistan Region presidency: what has the destruction of bridges to do with the PKK?
A spokesperson for the Kurdistan regional government stated that Kurdistan Region President Mr Masu’d Barzani visited Duhok Province on 21 and 22 February 2008 and met with military, security and administrative officials in the province. He learnt about the situation in the border areas and discussed the latest development with his officials. He stressed that Kurdistan Region would not become part of the PKK-Turkey conflict. But any aggression against civilians or populated areas will be confronted with overall resistance. Barzani has issued clear instructions to this effect and military preparations have been made.
The statement adds: We now have serious doubt about the real aim of the Turkish military threat. Their aim is Kurdistan Region, not the PKK. If not, why do they destroy bridges that lie deep inside populated Kurdish areas and which benefit Kurdish citizens? What has this to do with the PKK?
Continuation of tension affects the situation in Kurdistan and Turkey borders
With the increase of tension in the border areas caused by the building up of Turkish army and the military operations, there is increasing fear every day that trade activities from Ibrahim Khalil [Khabur] gate will be paralysed. If this happens, economic observers believe that both Kurdistan and Turkey will suffer great losses.
On this issue, the director-general of the Ibrahim Kahlil business complex, Hamid Ali, told Awena: Trade exchange and cross- over of citizens are still continuing. At Ibrahim Khalil gate, all daily affairs are going on as usual and no considerable change has taken place in commercial activities and the travel of citizens.
The director of information at the Ministry of Finance and Economics said: “Although trade activities have not yet been affected, any further increase in tension might lead to the closure of Ibrahim Khalil gate because commercial activities and fear of military operations cannot go hand in hand.”
Peshmerga border forces go to Turkish border
Internally, in his meeting with the relevant military and security forces in Duhok, President of Kurdistan Region Mr Mas’ud Barzani said that he did not support actions that cause tension and military solution for problems. He stressed that Kurdistan Region is not at war with anyone but what Turkey is doing constitutes aggression against the people of Kurdistan.
So far, peshmerga forces have not made any preparations to join the fighting against Turkish army. The spokesperson for the general command of region’s defence forces, Jabar Yawar, said no confrontations have so far occurred between peshmerga forces and Turkish army.
About the movements of peshmerga forces he said: “No order has been given to any peshmerga force to leave their positions or to move to a definite location. There is nothing to prepare for; we do not have fighting with any country to prepare for.”
But some sources speak about the dispatch of border guard forces to the Turkish border. A source from the command of guard forces told Awena: “Peshmerga border guard forces have moved to the areas of Bamarni and Amedi to prepare for any possibility of confrontation with Turkish army in the border areas.”
Kurdistan Region government holds America responsible
The KRG has described the Turkish military invasion as a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty but so far it has not issued any clear reaction. An official in charge of external relations of the KRG, Falah Mustafa, thought that the protection of the land of Kurdistan Region is the responsibility of the Iraqi government. He said: If Turkish forces invade Iraq, this is a clear violation of the sovereignty of Iraq and it is the responsibility of Iraqi federal government to defend Iraqi soil, including Kurdistan, which is a part of Iraq. About KRG reactions Mustafa said: They have sent messages of protest to Ankara via international consulates [in Arbil].
Falah Mustafa said: “The USA is responsible for Turkey’s military invasion of Kurdistan Region. They have given the Turkish army the green light to start these operations and violate the borders of Kurdistan Region. According to international treaties and conventions, it is the responsibility of the USA to protect the security of Iraq.”
People of Bamarni and Amedi demonstrate against Turkish military bases in these areas
The bombardment of the areas of Bamarni, Rekan, Mzuri, Nerwe and Amediyan by the Turkish army made the population of Amedi and Bamarni demonstrate against Turkey and demand the closing down of the Turkish bases in the region. With the knowledge of the KRG, Turkey has two military bases in Amedi and Bamarni.
Isa Bamarni, a citizen who took part in the demonstration, told Awena: “After the Turkish warplanes resumed the bombardment of our border areas and caused great financial damage in addition to destroying a number of bridges, we gathered together in front of one of the headquarters of Turkey in the area. We expressed our protest against the attacks and demanded the closing down of Turkish bases and centres.”
There has been a confrontation in Serirash area
The commander of the fifth army in Duhok Governorate, General Hashim, said: Turkey has entered Kurdistan Region 10 km deep, and in some areas of Zakho there have been clashes between the Turkish army and PKK guerrillas but the size of the losses is not known yet. Hashim said: We are not part of these clashes, but if Turkish forces move towards peshmerga positions, we will be forced to confront them.
Talabani postpones his visit to Turkey
Last Friday, the president of the Republic of Iraq, Mam [honorific] Jalal Talabani, reeived a telephone call from Turkish President Abdullah Gul who formally invited Talabani to visit Turkey to discuss the relationship between the two countries. According to a statement by the presidential office, Gul has described the Kurds as brothers and friends of Turkey. But according to a Turkish media source, Gul informed Talabani about the Turkish military invasion in advance. Meanwhile Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has said that Talabani might postpone his visit because of the sensitive nature of the present time.
In a telephone conversation between Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki and Turkish PM Recip Tayyib Erdogan, Maliki has asserted that Turkey must respect the sovereignty of Iraq and refrain from attacking Iraq citizens and their property. He further told his Turkish counterpart that Iraq is concerned about the security in the region and asked for further talks between the two countries.
On the nature of this telephone conversation, the spokesperson of the Iraqi government, Dr Ali Dabbagh, said: Al-Maliki has asked Erdogan to respect the sovereignty of Iraq. Iraq will help Turkey to ensure peace and security in that country. He described the PKK as “a terrorist group”.
PKK threatens guerrilla war inside Turkey
The official in charge of PKK external relations, Ahmad Daniz, told Rozhnama: The PKK wants to solve the Kurdish problem with Turkey in a peaceful way, but Turkey is not willing to have peace. Their aim is not the PKK; it is the achievements of the people of Kurdistan in south Kurdistan.
The PKK leader threatened that if Turkish military operations continue and widen, then the PKK will fight back in every possible way, not just in Qandil, but the PKK will move the fight to Turkish cities and will fight a guerrilla war there. But we will not harm civilians.
He denied that the PKK has evacuated its positions in Qandil Mountain.
Originally published by Rozhnama, Sulaymaniyah, in Sorani Kurdish 24 Feb 08 p3.
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